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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2008-11-20 Library changes in response to demand (Palm Beach Post)6 THE PALM BEACH POST • THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 20, 2008 N North Palm library changes in response to demand Economic slump resulting in more visitors. By BILL DiPAOLO Palm Beach Post Staff Writes NORTH PALM BEACH — Tough economic times boost business at libraries, and village officials are making changes to meet the expected higher de- mand for services. Countywide, library business is booming, said John Callahan, director of the Palm Beach County Li- brary Sys- tem. Usage of county libraries is up 11 per- cent this year and rose 30 percent the previous two years. The county will spend $11 million to expand the North County Regional Library on PGA Boulevard to meet the in- creasing demand. In North Palm Beach, officials are completing renovations to compensate for budget cutbacks and boost library use. After several years of declining use, the two-story building next to Village Hall is see- ing a return of patrons, said Library Director Donna Riegel. "Instead of buying that magazine or CD, people are coming to the library to read it or borrow it," said Riegel. The village library, which has\ a current an- nual budget of about $771,000 and 14 full- and part-time employees, lost Riegel Prosperity Farms Rd. Lighthouse Dr.as 0 North Palm Beach Northlake Blvd. BRENNAN KING/Staff Artist one full-time librarian this year. The book budget, used to buy research ma- terials, newspapers and electronic data, fell from about $90,000 last year to about $83,000 this year. Circulation in children's services had dropped from 26,836 to 14,342 in the past 10 years, but attendance began to bounce back last year. There were increases in children's services and attendance at children's programs, said Riegel. "It's good to get young children to the library. It's a good habit for them to get into," said North Palm Beach resident Jim Heaney as he flipped through the library's copy of The New York Times on a recent af- ternoon. The biggest change is combining the children's and adult sections on the second floor. The children's section was downstairs and the adults upstairs. The administration offices and research computers are now on the first floor. "There will be more in- teraction between parents and their children. That will make the library ex- perience more pleasant," Riegel said. By leasing books instead For The Post Online, go to Jean Aragona (left) and Marilyn Halverson, both visiting the area from Long Island, New York, sit at a reference table at the North Palm Beach Library which has just been renovated. One North Palm Beach Library upgrades • $15,000 in new furniture, paid for by private donors, is scheduled to arrive in the children's section in December. The brightly colored chairs are shaped like giant books. • 01d and outdated books have been removed to create room for new material. • Wireless Internet access is now available on both floors. of buying them, especially blockbusters such as the Harry Potter series, the library is expected to save money and give readers better access. Leased books 4,40 ELIZA GUTIERREZ/Staff Photographer of the renovations includes combining the children and adult sections of the library on the top floor. To showcase the new changes, the library will hold an open house on Jan. 24. • The library ended a $20,000 annual contract that allowed cardholders to download audio books and e-books to their personal MP3 players, without going to the library. Use did not justify the expense, said Library Director Donna Riegel. • There are now 12 computers available for research. can be returned when their popularity declines. Leased books that are damaged are returned and replaced at no charge, she said. "I don't want to get stuck with books that are no lon- ger popular," said Riegel. North Palm Beach library attendance is ex- pected to increase when the expansion starts at the North County Regional Li- brary in the North County Governmental Center in Palm Beach Gardens. The library is expected to be closed for about a year. The facility will be expanded from 24,000 square feet to about 40,000. "Our business is up because the economy is down," Callahan said. "Our customers are demanding more services, and we will provide it." ©bill_dipaolo@pbpost.com PahnBeachPost. com v +