New City Free Library

Any Press is Good Press?

2009-07-20T17:47:00.004-04:00

The New City Library was in The Journal News today, July 20, 2009 in the “Letters to the Editor section. The customer was complaining that the Library would not accept a replacement copy of a fiction book published in 2005 that she admitted losing. For an on-line copy of the letter you can go to:

http://www.lohud.com/article/20090720/OPINION/907200305/1016/OPINION02/Libraries-must-look-at-ways-to-save-on-books

At issue is that the lost book is not something that the library would want to replace. The book has lived a good life and was popular at a time, but it is not something that we would purchase today. The library collection is not stagnate and is constantly changing in adding and removing materials to provide the best and latest materials to its customers. The library in its fiduciary responsibility to tax payers needs the replacement fund to purchase current materials that are in demand over an older book that is no longer a bestseller.

The largest misconception of the letter is that the library pays retail price for materials. We annually negotiate a substantial discounts with our material providers, and yes we purchase books online sometimes at ridiculously low prices. However, unlike retail book stores where the item is unboxed and put on the shelf, libraries spend significant time and money in cataloging the book, creating the unique book barcode number, wrapping the jacket in its protective sleeve and applying stickers. These are all value added costs in making the book ready for the customer in an organized fashion. When a book is lost there is also time and money in removing entries from the catalog.

The existing policy takes into consideration the above elements. Our policies are constantly under review and it is agreed that the policy may need to be adjusted, but I believe the concepts are sound in collecting funds for lost materials and the time and money it takes to process them.

The other item of interest is that on the same day, I received and email from a different customer, that said,

“Thank you, thank you so very much for looking into this! You have relieved me from a great worry while I am away, and I greatly appreciate your efforts and flexibility!!!…There is certainly no reason for you to apologize for any inconvenience, as it is I who am so sorry that I caused an inconvenience by forgetting that there were materials borrowed on both cards and only checking my own e-mail alerts. Thank you again for your time and understanding. Have a wonderful rest of the week …Thank you again and again!!!!!!”

Unfortunately, this is an email that is not likely to appear on the editorial page. The New City Library prides itself on providing quality customer service and I believe it is achieved 99% of the time. We will seek improvements in communicating with the other 1%; and by the way…try not to lose your books.

The Library of the Future

2009-06-16T13:25:00.003-04:00

The New City Library is constantly evolving to provide the best services and the best customer service possible for all ages, cultures, and perspectives.

Our world is changing at an ever increasing rate and it is up to the library to change with it. An article I read a few years back talked about digital natives and digital immigrants. I, like most of our readers am a digital immigrant. We had to learn most everything from books. When growing up having three channels on a 12” black and white TV was a luxury. Computers were huge contraptions that only big universities and big businesses could afford. My children on the other hand are digital natives. They had their computerized “Speak and Spell” before kinder garden. They learned from Sesame Street in 30 second Snippets on at least a 19” color TV (today they think 56” is too small). They never consider reading the instruction manual to any new phone or gadget. Technology seems to come natural to them.

How does the Library succeed in satisfying the needs of both groups?

Everyone loves books from our youngest to our oldest customers. Our Children’s and Teen area are running out of space with the rich collection we have. We have a good collection of Large Print titles that we hope to grow into a great collection.

The evolution of books in general and audio books in particular is fascinating. First there were audio books on tape. Customers loved them. These evolved into books on CD. Now no new cars come with tape players. What do we do with our collection? Do we continue to purchase titles on a technology that has no future? The New City Library was a head of the times in purchasing what may become an interim technology of audio books prerecorded on MP3 Players. These go by the brand name of “Playaway”. If you haven’t tried on yet, please do. The future seems to be moving to downloadable audio books where customers can download a book to their own MP3 player or iPod through the Library Website. The New City Library offers this service through our regional library, but the collection needs to be enhanced.

In the late 90s Libraries embraced eBooks which could be checked out to your computer or handheld device for reading. The theory was that if we build it and they will come. They (you our customers) didn’t come and the potential was not fully realized. Interesting the items of the highest circulation were cliftnotes, computer books and titles that appealed to teens.

Today libraries are faced with two competing forms of eBook technology; the Amazon “Kindle” and the Sony “Reader Digital Book” Should libraries purchase readers and check them out to customers? Should libraries provide downloadable books to customers for circulation? Unless I were really rich or traveling constantly on airplanes the investment of 2 to 3 hundred dollars just for the reader doesn’t make sense, but this technology will continue to evolve and become more affordable. New color readers, no bigger than, and as flexible as, a paper tablet will soon be available. You can be sure this library will be watching developments.

What is true of books is true of all the formats of materials provided by the library. The change is afoot with films and think how sound recordings have progressed from wax recordings, to 78s to LPs to eight tracks to cassettes and today’s audio CDs. Downloadable music is now quickly becoming the dominate format. The library of today and tomorrow needs to always be looking ahead and providing what is next.

Last week when the New City Library was performing some spring house cleaning we dispensed with our Book Review Digest. It brought back memories of our High School librarian teaching us the complex indexing scheme of monthly indexes, annual indexes and cumulative indexes. The identical material is now available online the only difference is when was the last time teens need to be taught how to do an online search.

Above our commitment to customer service, the New City Library is also committed to evolving with the publishing and media production world. You can share your thoughts on this matter by commenting on this blog

Clarkstown School District Art Reception

2009-05-12T10:01:00.003-04:00

Earth Day at New City Library

2009-04-27T18:19:00.002-04:00

Buidling Repairs...You be the Judge

2009-04-22T17:05:00.003-04:00

One of the intentions of this blog is to get customer feedback on what is happening at the library. Recently we have gone through a process to prioritize our building maintenance and repair issues. Here is how we ranked our projects.

Facility Item Score

Front Steps 4.86
Parking Lot lights 4.57
Restructure A/V Department 4.48
Upgrade lighting in Meeting Room 4.47
Update Meeting room A/V and Data 4.40
Public Furniture replacement 4.28
Repair surface and lighting of portico 4.26
New Carpeting throughout 4.21
Resurface/stripe Parking Lot 4.19
Roof Repair 4.19
Redesign Reference Desk and Public PCs 4.16
Update Conference room A/V 4.12
Roof Replacement 4.09
Remodel Meeting room walls 3.69
Create Offices in Circ and PR 3.09
Re-point exterior brick 3.09
Furniture in the Staff lounge 3.07
Flooring in the Staff lounge 2.97
Refinish Woodwork 2.76
Restore Children's Room Garden 2.50

With limited funds available, how would you rank projects that the library should be taking on to keep our building maintained and attractive? Are there other items you have noticed that need repaired?

New City Library Picnic Table

2009-03-27T16:33:00.002-04:00

Easy Answer to a Customer Suggestion.

2009-03-27T16:14:00.004-04:00

A New City Library Customer recently wrote, “You should have a picnic table and chairs outside so people can read outside in the summer.”

The New City Library does indeed already have a picnic table under a pergola. Unfortunately it is at the back of the library near the employee entrance, but it is there for everyone to use. As the warmer weather approaches, I would encourage any and all our visitor to check out the area and make use of it. If you live or work near the library it is an ideal place to eat while enjoying a good book.

Our public bench in front of the library has seen better days and we would hope to have that updated at some point in the near future. Please enjoy our library and enjoy the outdoors at the same time.

Please let us know other improvements we can make to our facilities. Your ideas are always appreciated.

The Fine Print

2008-11-28T17:08:00.003-05:00

Have you read the back of your library card lately? It says, “By signing this card, I agree to:

· Accept the responsibility for all fines incurred
· Pay for damaged or lost materials
· Report promptly loss or theft of the card or change of address

Too many people under appreciate the value of their library card. It can take you further than any credit card and allow you to travel not just around the world, but also into the past or future depending on what you read.

People also take for granted the responsibility of a card. Tax dollars are used to purchase our materials. When a customer damages a book and refuses to pay, it is like destroying your neighbors’ property. Customers ARE responsible for the safe keeping of our materials. When a book is damaged you should be expected to pay to have it replaced.

A previous boss taught me that when renting a car, always take a walk around and look for damage. Many of our customers do the same with our books and that is OK. We appreciate it and mark our records accordingly so that when the book is returned you are not charged for the material.

Please value your library card and the materials you check out.

Horror Films or "Tell Us What You Want"

2008-11-28T16:51:00.002-05:00

A customer recently wrote, “Can you please have a better selection of horror movies that are current. I find that when it comes to new horror releases, New City Library just doesn’t keep up.”

I just finished an article, based on informal interviews on 20 things librarians would like customer’s to know. Near the top is that we want to hear what you want from us. We welcome customer suggestions for improving our collection.

In purchasing films on DVD we have limited funds and try to do our best in purchasing all types films our customers want. In deciding to purchase materials we consider how well a film is reviewed by authoritative review sources. We also look at box office sales in deciding if we want to 1 copy or 6 copies. People vote with their money and if a movie is popular at the box office it is going to be popular with our customers.

In regards to horror films in particular the AV Collection Development specifically, states, “Even though a particular title may not have received a very favorable review, it is purchase for our collection because patrons have previously ask for these types of movies, such as in the horror genre.”

So the short answer is thank you for your suggesting and we will be looking a little closer at buying more current horror films. Please continue to let us know what we can do to be the best library possible.

A Noisy Library is a Happy Library????

2008-10-31T17:12:00.002-04:00

Three comment cards were recently recieved on how noisy the library is.

The New city Library is not the library of old dedicated to quiet study and reading. The library is evolving into a lively community destination for reading, films, programs and more. With so much excitement going on it is hard to keep quiet.

With that said, the library does recognize that we have an obligation to provide a time and space for quiet reading. The reference desk, where customers are asking questions and seeking solutions is naturally going to be noisy. The children’s room, the teen area and space directly outside the meeting rooms are places to avoid if you want some peace and quiet. The New City Library also has to contend with noise bouncing up and across the floors and the mezzanine.

In the best of all possible worlds the library should have an enclosed study room with good lighting and a variety of furniture for quiet reflective study. If given the chance such a space would be in the program building specifications of any future Library renovations.

In the mean time please consider the following areas of the library if you want a little quiet. The Mystery Room does not have tables but does have limited seating away from the crowd. The Rockland Room offers a certain degree of privacy, but it is often occupied with researchers working on family histories. A third possibility is the upstairs area outside the Administrative Office. The Group Study Room may have people studying together and talking about a project, but if unoccupied it is open on a first come first served basis as long as a program is not scheduled for the space.

The library needs to become a vibrant part of the community. Having children discovering the treasure of our books and having customers engaged in conversation with staff and collogues is a good indicator of a library is a vibrant part of the community. At the same time the Library recognizes that we need to provide traditional service and space but the days of the Shushing librarian are gone for good.

The New City Library has a new comment card form. Pleae use one to tell us what you think next time you visit the library

E-Books for E-Kids

2008-10-27T15:19:00.005-04:00

TumbleBookLibrary, e-books for kids is one of the newest services offered through the New City Library. This online collection features animated, talking picture books designed to teach children the joy of reading by taking existing picture books and adding animation, sound, music and narration to produce an electronic book. Families are able to read to their children or children may read independently.

Explore this exciting website as it features multiple selections ranging from books in Spanish and French to a variety of TumbleGames. The service is free; all that is needed is an internet connection. To view, go to the library’s home page, www.newcitylibrary.org. and under Bulletin Board, click on Tumblebook.

This database is one of the many services offered at the New City Library whose ongoing commitment is to offer the best and most current information to the public. For further information about TumbleBook Library, call the Children’s Department at 634-4997, ext 121.

Our Survey -- Blue Ray or not to Blue Ray

2008-09-12T16:02:00.005-04:00

PLEASE TAKE OUR SURVEY!

The New City Library Audio Visual Department has designed a survey to help evaluate what customers expect and in the words of Ed Koch, "How we do'in?"

The survey is no longer available, but please post a comment.

Part of the survey asks about Blue-Ray disc and our customer's possible intention to purchase this new technology. Should we be purchasing films in this new format. Check back here for the results of our survey.

Customer Suggestion

2008-09-12T15:26:00.002-04:00

A customer suggested:

Many of the library DVDs are scratched and freeze during use. Of the last 5 discs I borrowed, I was able to view only 1 to completion. When I return a damaged DVD, I report the problem. Clearly many customers return them without comment, and the damaged disc is returned to circulation without repair.

I have 2 suggestions:

1) When a CD or DVD is checked out, an easily removable label (eg, Post-It) is placed on the front of the case, saying
Please Check One

__ DVD/CD played well

__ DVD/CD needs repair

That would be effective for patrons who use the drop box as well as those who come into the library

2) Ask Technical Services to inspect/clean/repair any disc that has been borrowed a predetermined number of times.

Library Response.

In many ways VHS tapes were better than DVDs for their indestructibility although the quality does not compare. There is little more frustrating that investing an hour in watching a movie and then have it freeze. There are a few things our customers can do to avoid this situation.

Library property is your property as a taxpayer. Treat the disk as your own and don’t let the kids play Frisbee with them.

Using plain water (no cleaners or Windex please) clean the disk before you put it in the player. Dry and gently rub out any stains with a lint free cloth that can be found in most retail electronic stores.

Tell us when you return an item that it has a problem. We will not accuse you of wrong doing unless the dog ate it. We have equipment that can clean and resurface the disk, but we can’t fix it if we don’t know about it.

As for the future, library staff will begin asking customers if the video was working well when they are returned. We are also looking into equipment that will inspect and report on DVD and CD damage and playability.

Please enjoy our great collection of Films, music and games.

Interesting Question

2008-08-27T15:37:00.002-04:00

A CUSTOMER WRITES:

Please, the practice of stamping book on the sale cart – DISCARD – is self defeating – loses value all around. Could you explain the reason for this?

Thank you.

OUR RESPONSE:

Library materials withdrawn from the collection and withdrawn from the catalog is an important part of collection management in making space for new materials. Librarians refer to it as “weeding”. Just as you weed your garden we weed the collection of items out-of-date or unpopular.

If the library does not prominently mark them as DISCARD they tend to keep coming back to us. This can result in all sorts of confusion. It is also for the customer’s protection in knowing that it is not an overdue book or one that may have been an unauthorized loan (stolen).

Customer Feedback

2008-08-27T14:39:00.002-04:00

It is nice to hear good things about our staff. A customer recently wrote:

"Keep up the good work. I received exmplary service on the phone by Angela...exceeding friendly customer service."

Customer Concerns

2008-08-27T14:28:00.002-04:00

New City Library wants to provide the best possible customer service while protecting the assets of the library. Registration proceedures need to be in place and adhered to ensure library notices will be received and materials will be returned. Below is a recent correspondence with a customer. In this example we also called the customer directly to assist.

CUSTOMER WRITES:

I have been a resident of Congers for over a year. This evening I attempted to register for a library card. I read the flyer regarding the registration and brought in forms of identification. However, despite bringing the appropriate forms (driver's license, photo work id, and utility bill).

I was denied receiving a card. I felt that her actions were discriminatory because I gave acceptable ID and she wouldn't accept it.

How do children apply for library cards? They do not have cars registered in their names nor have pay stubs. I pay library taxes each year and I believe because of this I am entitled to a library card. Please let me know what I can do to obtain one.

OUR RESPONSE:

I am truly sorry for the inconvenience you experience at the circulation desk when applying for a membership card at New City Library. Our goal is to register all eligible residents.

We issue a card upon presentation of 2 proofs of an eligible address and a current and identifiable picture ID. As I understand it you met the photo requirement but only one form had your name and address. A second form with your name and street address was not provided.

Minor children may use a parent's ID as long as the child is with the parent at the time of registration. The parent’s signature is required on the registration form.

CHUCK MCMORRAN BECOMES NEW CITY LIBRARY DIRECTOR

2008-08-26T17:26:00.002-04:00

NEW CITY, NY, August 14, 2008. Charles (Chuck) McMorran has become director of the New City Library, announced Robert Martin, president of the library’s board of trustees. McMorran was the unanimous first choice of the search committee, which was comprised of members of the board and library staff. The board of trustees unanimously ratified the search committee’s recommendation. The previous director retired in February.

McMorran has had a long and prestigious career in library service, said Mr. Martin. He comes to New City from the Jacksonville, Florida Public Library System, where he supervised the building of six new branch libraries and the remodeling of twelve existing branches, played a key role in the initial selection of materials for the collections at the new branches and instituted important technological innovations. Before he was recruited to Jacksonville, McMorran spent 12 years with the Queens Borough Public Library System, one of the largest and most progressive library organizations in the country. He moved from managing automated systems to directing technical services to directing the Queens Borough Central Library. Earlier positions were in West Virginia and Illinois.

McMorran said that he is “…proud of enabling the Jacksonville library to be recognized as a technology leader in the state, and especially proud of introducing work-flow changes that brought materials into the hands of customers in record time.” He looks forward to working with the New City Library staff, board and community starting on August 18.