How to Become a Networking, Accessible, Sharing Library

What do the following things have in common? Videos on horse care and training; t-shirts denoting 'teen tutors; a fax machine; clown noses and ears; a dial-in computer modem; bi-folkal kits; a scarlet fish; power door openers. Stay tuned — answer to follow.

Libraries come in all sizes and shapes. Some are small buildings and serve a small area or a small number of patrons. Others are quite large, serving a huge clientele. One "size" remains constant, however, and that is the size of the dreams of the library director — they are all extra-large. All library directors see new technologies and materials as goals for the future, with hopes of giving their patrons every possible opportunity for recreational and research reading. In my small library, the fairy godmother has been named LSCA. As you've probably guessed by now, the items in my opening list have all come from LSCA grants. (Well not the scarlet fish, but all good mysteries need at least one red herring.) My small library, the Marrowbone Public Library District in rural central Illinois has been hugely blessed with LSCA funds, which has helped us meet many needs in our area.

One of the first grants we benefited from was written in 1985 as a coordinated project uniting the three libraries in Moultrie County: Lovington Public Library District, Elizabeth Titus Memorial Library in Sullivan and the Marrowbone Library. This grant was written in response to a need to better serve the elderly in our county. Through the grant we were able to purchase a set of bi-folkal kits for senior programming and much needed books in large type and on audio tape. The high circulation rate of these materials immediately showed the need. The large type books and audio books purchased for this grant became the core for a valued and growing collection, but there were two residual effects we did not predict: (1) a firm working and sharing environment was established within the county and exists to this day. The three small libraries were all made stronger by this new relationship. (2) The bi-folkal kits were made available to other libraries through inter-library loan and remain popular throughout the Rolling Prairie Library System. This was our first lesson in the value of even the smallest collection to interlibrary loan statewide.

In 1988, I was approached with a proposal for an LSCA project by Beverly Obert, director of the Mt. Zion Public Library District (which adjoins the Marrowbone Library District on its Northwest border). Bev's idea was to create kits for children's programming similar to the hugely popular bi-folkal kits. Again, I engaged the support of the Sullivan and Lovington Libraries, and the four libraries applied for and were granted funding. This became the favorite and most visible project our consortia has attempted to date. We engaged a company to create wonderful heavy zippered bags with our "Programs to Go" logo imprinted on the front. Materials were purchased from a myriad of sources to create 28 kits. Promotional material was distributed, and the kits were loaned to other libraries statewide as well as to local groups. One of the kits created at my library was titled "A Celebration of Clowns." This kit contains items for participants to use to pretend to be clowns, such as noses, ears, wigs and neckties, along with videos on clown performances, books about clowning and scripts for skits. This clown kit brings to mind one error in judgment I made in my zeal to share my excitement over this concept. Our group was invited to present our project as a poster session at the annual Illinois Library Association convention. With our usual gung-ho spirit we tackled this assignment with full enthusiasm, having sweatshirts screen-printed with our logo, and I even wore some of the clown paraphernalia from the kit. I was pleased at the interest of one particular librarian, as I earnestly shared with her both the value and the ease of assembly of these kits, when she interrupted me in mid-sentence with, "I am sorry, but I just can't talk to you anymore while you are wearing that nose," and hurried away. (She would have been even more distracted by the nose underneath!) But noses aside (and avoiding all "easy" and unprofessional nose jokes), this was a project that was wonderfully successful. The kits were shared throughout the state, and the idea was reproduced by several other libraries in the Rolling Prairie

*Jane Hill, Librarian, Marrowbone Public Library District, Bethany.

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Library System, thus multiplying the availability of this type of resource. Another unexpected result of this project was their range of use. They have been used by 4-H groups, nursing homes, Women's Clubs and many other non-targeted organizations.

Co-operative collection management gained fresh momentum in Illinois in 1990, when a round of grants was offered stressing deep assessments of existing collections using the Northwest Conspectus software. Marsha Burgener, librarian at the Atwood-Hammond Public Library District called and expressed an interest in working with our group to apply during this grant opportunity. The libraries of Lovington, Sullivan and Bethany joined with Atwood-Hammond in making the application. We were greatly aided by the expertise of Barbara McFadden Allen, who was at that time the Illinois State Library coordinator for cooperative collection management. We were awarded the grant, which included four components. 1) To thoroughly assess our collection using the Northwest Conspectus Forms. The "paperwork" part was, of course, the tough part. The assessment was challenging for us to perform, as it was based upon a rating system whose minimum collection standards were difficult for us to reach even in our chosen strength areas. 2) To determine joint areas of need and create a written CCM plan adopted by all four libraries. The four librarians worked together to create a collection management plan, which we were able to share with many other libraries through such forums as ILA Cracker Barrel sessions, ISLMA and system consultants. 3) To purchase materials in chosen areas, process them and make them available through Bibliographies and the LLSAP database. And 4) To keep circulation records to determine local use, consortia use and general ILL. Circulation records revealed a need for the materials added for these projects not merely in our small county, but also across the state, since the materials were frequently requested on Interlibrary Loan. The target areas have been built on and refined over the years. One particular area I chose to build on was pet care. I purchased books, videos and magazines on dogs and cats, unusual pets, such as reptiles, spiders and exotic birds, and animals normally considered farm animals. The small collection of materials developed on care, training and riding of horses rapidly became the most popular addition to my pet materials. Resources have been concentrated on building this into a very nice collection, with strong emphasis on videotapes. I have relied heavily on my patrons for insight into this topic as I personally hold a terror of any horse not firmly attached to a carousel! In 1995, the consortia was again granted funds to update this project to reflect the changes in the existing topic areas and to meet demand by adding some new topics.

In 1993, the need to make our building accessible to persons with disabilities came very clear to us in the person of one young father who suffered from multiple sclerosis. His options on things he and his two small daughters could do together were severely limited due to his reliance on crutches for mobility. The library became an outlet where the three of them could enjoy books, puzzles and games. His condition worsened, and the crutches were no longer enough. An electric wheelchair became his means of transportation. While our back door did accommodate a wheelchair, it was out of view from the front portion of the library and had to be kept locked. Sending the girls ahead of him was frustrating for our patron. Although the most poignant, this patron was not the only one whose access to the library was limited by the steps to the front entrance. We applied for and received matching grant funds for a remodeling project through LSCA grant funds especially set aside for accessibility. Little did we know what we were getting ourselves into on this project. We planned to change the front entrance and remodel the bathrooms. As the project progressed, we added to the project and replaced the carpeting in the building. Of course it is impossible to put carpeting in a building packed with bookshelves, so everything needed to be removed from the building, stored, then returned. Even with our small collection of 20,000 books, this is a daunting task. We assembled a troop of volunteers that ranged from children as young as three to several in their 70s. The moves out and in were a joyful celebration of chaos, disorder and triumph as we re-opened 48 hours after we were allowed back into the building to begin reassembling stacks. The real celebration was much quieter, occurring when the staff watched our favorite patron roll up to the new power door button, press it and sail up the ramp through the door and into the children's department with his youngest daughter on his lap.

The march forward to the 21st Century was the impetus for the grant awarded to our group in 1996. This time, the group included the public libraries in Moultrie and Shelby Counties: Atwood-Hammond, Bethany, Lovington, Mt. Zion, Sullivan, Shelbyville and Windsor. Our proposal was to create a community information database that could be accessed from home computers using either a dial-in modem or the Internet; and also to allow patrons to search our library database from home using either method.

Grants have been awarded to our library and/or a consortium for automation, literacy, programming and accessibility. We have received materials, equipment and services that have greatly benefitted our library. The real value though lies in the lessons we learned: (1) The incalculable value of networking. Collaboration on grant preparation and execution has lead to a

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pooling of not only materials but expertise, and even beyond that an outlet to share concerns, joys and frustrations. (2) The need for building accessibility — not only for patrons typically targeted, but for those temporarily disabled by injury and mothers trying to maneuver strollers through the front door. And (3) The existence of something of value to share through interlibrary loan in every collection regardless of their size, making the automation of all collections a worthy goal.

In conclusion, I wish to express my gratitude to the Illinois State Library for making these funds available to us, for their guidance through the various processes and for their vision in the allocation of those funds. I was asked to write this article, but I am merely the spokesperson for a dynamic group that I greatly admire whose current "members" are: Jenny Alexander, Marsha Burgener, Eileen Curry, Shelley Koehler, Colleen Mitchell and Suzy Saunders. Thanks to you all!

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