2008 Library News

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Palo Alto Libraries Lead the Pack

NEW (5/7/08) According to recently-released statistics from the California State Library, Palo Alto's libraries were first in per capita circulation and second in visits among similar-sized cities during 2006-2007.  Each Palo Altan checked out on average 23 items during that 12-month period, more than residents in any other California city of 50,000 to 70,000 population.  In fact, Palo Alto's per capita circulation topped that of Mountain View, Menlo Park, Santa Clara, Sunnyvale, and almost all others localities in the state.
 
Palo Alto achieves its high usage despite a smaller collection than many other libraries.  We rank just #32 out of 179 California cities and counties in total materials per capita and #37 for books.  Fourteen other library systems spent more than Palo Alto's $96.28 per resident, including Burlingame, Berkeley, and tiny Carmel, which topped the list at $325.87.

 
Join and Save

NEW (5/7/08) Joining the Friends of the Palo Alto Library makes you eligible to bank at the Stanford Federal Credit Union - "Where the Stanford Community Banks!"  For more details, visit www.sfcu.org.  You also receive a 10% discount on purchases at Books Inc.'s brand-new store in Town and Country Village and early admittance at our annual Members-Early sale.  Join online, at the booksale, or at any Palo Alto library.

 
Library Bond Meeting on May 10

NEW (5/7/08) A third community meeting on a proposed $80 million package of changes to Palo Alto's libraries and a community center takes place this Saturday from 10 to 11:30 am at the Mitchell Park Community Center at 3700 Middlefield Road.  Several dozen residents attended two earlier meetings in late April at which city officials, Library Director Diane Jennings, and representatives from the architectural firm Group 4 explained their plan to replace the Mitchell Park library and adjacent community center and upgrade the Main and Downtown buildings.
 
Attendees at the April meetings asked many questions about the proposal.  In response to queries about cost and schedule, project personnel explained that they hope to minimize inconvenience by closing just one facility at a time, but also to rebuild at Mitchell Park quickly to avoid construction cost inflation.  Because the Mitchell Park project is complex, they anticipate improving the Downtown Library first, which is a much smaller effort and might begin by the end of 2009.  During that period, a modular building could house the downtown technical services staff.  The city would raze the Mitchell Park buildings next and build the new 51,000 square foot combined facility with the modular building nearby (possibly at the Cubberley Community Center) providing interim library services to the public.  Once the Mitchell Park project is completed, the modular building would relocate to serve as a temporary facility for the remodeling of the Main Library.  The smaller size of the modular might allow the city to reassign personnel from Main during this final stage and delay hiring the extra staff that the Mitchell Park library will eventually require.  By 2013 or 2014, the entire project would be completed.
 
To address cost concerns, the city has sought input from local construction experts and expects to hear their report at a City Council meeting rescheduled for May 19 at 7 pm at City Hall, 250 Hamilton Avenue.  The city also plans to mail two to four informational pieces to residents and poll to assess support for the bond measure, with the results to be discussed at the June 23 City Council meeting.  See recent articles in the Palo Alto Weekly and Palo Alto Daily News, the city's project website, and our quick views of the proposed designs.

 
Book Group Chooses Next Year of Reading

NEW (5/7/08) Here's what the Friends of the Palo Alto Library book group will be reading over the coming year.  The group meets from 7:30 to 9 pm on the second Thursday of every month at the Lucie Stern Community Center Fireside Room at 1305 Middlefield Road.  Click on any title to learn more it:
 

 
Summer Reading Program Begins June 2

NEW (5/7/08) The Palo Alto Library's summer reading program begins in early June.  Kids of all ages can participate and attend events and parties.  Once you achieve your reading goal, you receive a free book and other awards, and may be eligible for grand prizes.  See more information for kids through 5th grade and teens.  The summer reading program is sponsored by the Friends of the Palo Alto Library.

 
Book Sale Coordinator Needed - Can You Help?

(4/23/08) The Friends is seeking a Book Sale Coordinator to oversee the operations of our monthly book sales at Cubberley, which generate more than $200K annually to support programs and acquisitions in Palo Alto’s libraries.   More.

 
Library Bond Meetings

(4/20/08) In preparation for a likely November 2008 bond measure to raise approximately $80 million for library improvements, the city is holding four public meetings:
 
* Wednesday, April 23 at 7 pm at the Downtown Library,
* Tuesday, April 29 at 7 to 8:30 pm at the Main Library,
* Wednesday, April 30 from 7 to 8:30 pm at the Mitchell Park Community Center, and
* Saturday, May 10 from 10 to 11:30 am at the Mitchell Park Community Center.
 
The improvements consist of replacing the existing Mitchell Park Library and Community Center with a single 51,000 square foot building at the same site, remodeling and somewhat enlarging the Main Library, and reconfiguring and updating the Downtown Library.  See proposed designs.  The city is also producing a nine-minute informational video and will send two to four direct mail pieces to residents.
 
To address cost concerns, the city has sought input from local construction experts and expects to hear their report at a City Council study session on May 5 at 6 pm at City Hall, 250 Hamilton Avenue.  The city also plans to assess voter support for the bond measure via a poll and then review the results at the June 23 City Council meeting.

 
Library Offers Free Technical Books Online

(4/9/08) Your Palo Alto library card now lets you instantly access almost 1,200 books about computers and technology for free.  Available online 24/7, the collection includes many recent titles from publishers such as O’Reilly, Addison-Wesley, Peachpit Press, and Prentice-Hall.  Click here to see a full list and check out any of the books.  Funded in part through an enrichment grant from the Friends of the Palo Alto Library, this online collection from Safari represents an incredible bargain for Palo Alto library users, as Safari charges individuals over $250 for one year of access.

 
Free Access to University Library Materials

(4/9/08) Starting in 2009, you'll be able to check out millions of books from many California and Nevada university libraries for free, thanks to the Link+ program that the Palo Alto Library will join.  Unlike present interlibrary loans, which tend to be slow and cost $7.50 per checkout, you typically receive books through Link+ within a few days and pay nothing.  Click here to search through the amazing collection that Link+ offers, which is way beyond that of any public library.
 
Back in 2004, one of our board members was using Link+ via the Mountain View Library to research World War I and wondered why Palo Alto's library didn't offer the same service.  Various obstacles existed at the time, including technical incompatibilities between Palo Alto's catalog system and the one used by Link+.  Those problems have since been solved and in 2007 we pledged $120,000 to help fund and publicize a two-year Link+ pilot.  Palo Alto's City Council voted on March 17 to accept the gift and provide up to $110,000 more for the pilot.  A fast interlibrary loan system actually saves money by better sharing materials.  In 2005, we estimated it would cost Palo Alto a billion dollars to purchase and house a collection as large as Link+.
 
Link+ also allows you to access the collections of many other public libraries, including San Francisco, Berkeley, San Jose, and Sunnyvale.  This means that if all copies of a popular book or other item are checked out in Palo Alto, you may still be able to get a copy quickly.  If you can't wait to use Link+ until 2009, it is available for free to all California residents at the Mountain View and many other Bay Area libraries.  See brief Palo Alto Weekly article and library's detailed proposal.

 
College Terrace Library Developments

(4/9/08) On April 7, Palo Alto's City Council voted to reclassify the College Terrace Library building as a Category 2 resource on the Palo Alto Historic Inventory, thereby designating it as a "Major Building" of regional importance.  Designed by noted Bay Area architect Charles K. Sumner, the facility was constructed in 1936 for $20,400 of WPA (Works Progress Administration) funds.  While the library portion of the building is relatively unchanged, the other half was originally a community center but then became a daycare facility in the mid-1970s.
 
The city plans next to rehabilitate the building beginning this fall, with the library and childcare facilities closing for one to two years.

With the Category 2 designation and planned rehabilitation, an additional 2,500 square feet could be added to the building.  Rather than do that, the city is likely to sell those expansion rights for use by a developer elsewhere in the city.  In 2005, a similar transfer of development rights of 2,500 square feet for the Children's Library earned $237,500 for the city's general fund and the city hopes to raise a similar amount from selling the College Terrace rights.  See Palo Alto Weekly and Palo Alto Daily News articles.

Someone in Finland: Pay Up!

(4/9/08) It's every library user's nightmare: you forget to return a book and the fines mount.  But what if you want to return a book more than 100 years overdue, as recently happened at a library in Vantaa, a city in south Finland near Helsinki?  The 1902 bound volume contained an old library note listing overdue fines at 10 pennies a week.  No payment was included and the book was apparently checked out at a different library, since the branch it was returned to didn't exist a hundred years ago.  Not surprisingly, the library does not know yet who is responsible.  See Reuters story.

 
Library Bond Heading for November Vote

(3/5/08) Palo Alto's City Council voted 7 to 2 on February 11 to ask voters to support approximately $80 million of proposed library improvements with a bond likely to be on the November 2008 ballot.  The project entails replacing the existing Mitchell Park Library and Community Center with a single 51,000 square foot building at the same site, remodeling and somewhat enlarging the Main Library, and reconfiguring and updating the Downtown Library.  See proposed designs on our website.  Palo Alto's other two branch facilities will not be affected by the bond measure, as the Children's Library was updated last year and major repairs for the College Terrace branch are already being planned.
 
The two councilmembers in the minority also supported the library plans, but were unhappy funding a replacement public safety building via reduced city services and possible new revenues.  The majority felt that voters will not support the public service building and thus other city revenues need to be used.  Neither project received 2/3 support in polling last year, which is the level required for bond passage.  See recent coverage in the Palo Alto Weekly and Palo Alto Daily News.
 
The city is also undertaking an approximately $65,000 outreach campaign to educate the public about the library bond measure, using videos, handouts, online materials, and meetings.  See Palo Alto Weekly article.

 
Free Talk March 12 about Online Teens

(3/5/08) Anastasia Goodstein, author of Totally Wired: What Teens and Tweens Are Really Doing Online, will address parents’ concerns about online safety, cyberbullying and other ways technology affects kids at a free event at 7:30 pm on Wednesday, March 12 at Palo Alto High School's Haymarket Theater at 50 Embarcadero Road.  This program is funded by the Friends of the Palo Alto Library and cosponsored by the library, the Palo Alto Unified School District, the Palo Alto Council of PTAs, and the Palo Alto Drug Alcohol Community Collaborative.

 
Apply for a Palo Alto Library Card Online

(3/5/08) Any resident of California is eligible for a Palo Alto library card, which gives you access to great online resources and the largest book collection in California among similar-sized cities.  Start your application today on the library's website.

 
Important Changes at Main Room

(2/6/08) Because of our severe space limitations and compelling issues of health and safety, we will only allow 185 customers into the Main Room at a time.  On Saturday, February 9, customers will be originally admitted in the order of their numbered tickets that are given out from 8 to 11 am.  Once inside, customers may take only 12 books off of shelves, after which they should purchase these and exit via the east door.  They may then join at the end of any remaining line at the north door and reenter in that order.  The limitation of 12 books at a time will continue past noon if a line remains outside.
 
When picking up numbered tickets, please note that you can take one for yourself and one other person.
 
We regret any inconvenience that may be caused by adjusting to these changes.  We hope you will understand it is for everyone's safety.  We'll have extra volunteers to monitor and help and wish to thank everyone for their patience.

 
Library Bond Price Rises, Aims for November Ballot

(2/6/08) Seeking more time to educate the public about library needs, a split City Council decided on Monday, February 4 to shift a potential $80 million Palo Alto library bond measure from a June 2008 date to the November 2008 election.
 
The Council unanimously confirmed that the bond would still cover replacing the existing Mitchell Park Library and Community Center with a single 51,000 square foot building at the same site, remodeling and somewhat enlarging the Main Library, and reconfiguring and updating the Downtown Library.  See proposed designs on our website.  Palo Alto's other two branch facilities will not be affected by the bond measure, as the Children's Library was updated last year and major repairs for the College Terrace branch are already being planned.
 
One reason councilmembers favored the later election date was that polling in early 2007 found that fewer than the necessary 2/3 of voters support the library/community center project.  Since then, the estimated cost of the project has risen from $45 million to approximately $80 million, partly because more costs were included.  Councilmembers discussed possible ways to lower the amount voters would need to approve, such as seeking $4 million from donors for the buildings' furniture, fixtures and equipment, as was done on a smaller scale for the Children's Library.  A more controversial option is to dedicate new city revenue over a number of years to repay some of the library and community center construction costs, which would in turn reduce the available funding for a new public safety building or other city services and be more expensive, according to city staff.  The four councilmembers at the subsequent Finance Committee meeting on February 5 split over whether to recommend a single ballot measure to raise $110 million for both the library/community center and public safety building projects that would require $41 million to come from other new city revenues.
 
The November 2008 date will also give the city more time to run a second poll to understand public reaction to the new cost estimates and funding alternatives.  Opinions on the council varied as to how much in new taxes voters are likely to approve and whether substantial city revenue should be locked into paying for a public safety building without voter approval.  The council is expected to discuss the funding issues more on February 11.
 
See four articles in local papers about the cost increases and ballot issues:
  PA library cost estimates soar to $80 million
  New price of renovations: $80 million
  Funding public-safety building splits committee
  Three libraries forwarded to November ballot

 
Palo Altans Rate Library Highly

(2/6/08) 81% of Palo Altans rate our overall libraries as good or excellent, according to the recently-released 2006-2007 City of Palo Alto Citizen Survey.  This annual survey of opinions about the city, conducted by Palo Alto's City Auditor, also found that 75% of residents feel the variety of library materials is good or excellent and 75% rate our neighborhood branch libraries as good or excellent.  All three of these numbers are up from the previous year.
 
Other cities in the United States that use the same survey also found generally high praise for libraries.  As a result, Palo Alto's high marks for its overall libraries ranked only in the 54th percentile.  However, these rankings are extremely volatile, since Palo Alto last year ranked higher even though its ratings were lower.
 
33% of survey respondents reported using the library or its services more than 12 times last year, while 79% did so at least once during the year.
 
The study indicates that library usage in Palo Alto is evolving.  Over the last 5 years, circulation has risen 14%, reference questions declined 35%, Internet sessions increased 52%, and online database searches rose by 192%.  In-library volunteers donated over 5,800 hours this past year, 45% more than five years ago.

 
New Ways to Get Information

(2/6/08) Discover new ways to find useful information through library and other resources at free presentations over the next months.  All talks will be held from 10:30 am to noon at the Main Library, 1213 Newell Road.  You can reserve a spot online.  Upcoming topics are:
 
February 13: How to Help Your Child Succeed in School Using Library Tools
 
March 12: The Historic New York Times: Searching a Century of News
 
April 9: Health Matters: Online Tools for Medical Information
 
May 14: Genealogy Resources @ The Library (back by popular demand)
 
June 11: Traveling? Learn the Secrets of Researching Your Destination

 
Books Inc. Moves Palo Alto Store

(2/6/08) Members of the Friends of the Palo Alto Library receive a 10% discount at the bookstore Books Inc., which has just moved from Stanford Shopping Center to a 4000 square-foot store in Town and Country Village at El Camino and Embarcadero.  Books Inc. originally opened at Stanford back in 1957, so they're the oldest general-interest bookstore in Palo Alto!

 
Palo Alto Reads Events in January and February

NEW (1/9/08) Join Palo Alto and all Silicon Valley in reading Bo Caldwell's bestselling first novel, The Distant Land of My Father, and then visit the library's blog and attend the following free local events sponsored by the Friends of the Palo Alto Library:
 
Friday, January 25: Memories of Wartime Shanghai, with Meimei Pan and Connie Young Yu, Main Library, 1213 Newell Road, 7 pm
 
All January: Growing up Asian in America exhibit at the Main Library, 1213 Newell Road
 
February 1: Red Panda Acrobats, Mitchell Park Community Center, 3800 Middlefield Road, 7 pm
 
February 11: The Distant Land of My Father book discussion, Mitchell Park Library, 3800 Middlefield Road, 7 pm
 
February 12: The Distant Land of My Father book discussion, Downtown Library, 270 Forest Avenue, noon
 
February 13: The Distant Land of My Father book discussion, College Terrace Library, 2300 Wellesley Avenue, 7 pm
 
February 17: Firebird Youth Chinese Orchestra, Mitchell Park Community Center, 3800 Middlefield Road, 7 pm
 
February 24: In Conversation with Bo Caldwell, author of The Distant Land of My Father, Palo Alto Art Center, 1313 Newell Road, 3 pm

 
Council to Review New Library Costs

(1/9/08) Palo Alto's City Council plans to discuss new cost estimates for the Mitchell Park, Main, and Downtown library projects at its February 4 meeting at City Hall, although the date is tentative.
 
The proposed projects would replace the existing Mitchell Park Library and Community Center with a single 51,000 square foot building at the same site, remodel and somewhat enlarge the Main Library, and reconfigure and update the Downtown Library.  See proposed designs on our website.  Palo Alto's other two branches are not included in these proposals, as the Children's Library was updated last year and major repairs for the College Terrace branch are already being planned.
 
The city estimated in 2006 that the Downtown, Main, and Mitchell Park projects would cost $45 million and contemplated funding the projects with a 2008 bond measure.  A poll and follow-on study in 2007 suggested that Palo Alto voter support for the project likely falls short of the required 2/3 supermajority but was higher than for a bond to fund a new public safety building.  Subsequently, the Council directed city staff to investigate funding the public safety building without a ballot measure, perhaps by using existing city funds and new revenue sources to pay back a construction loan.  The Council is tentatively scheduled to discuss those options at the same February 4 meeting after a review by the city's Finance Committee on Tuesday, January 15.

 
2008 Officers and Board Members

(1/9/08) The Friends of the Palo Alto Library has new officers and board members for 2008 based on the election held at last October's Annual Meeting. Our president again is Betsy Allyn, well-known to many as a cashier at our booksale.  Martha Schmidt is our vice-president, Margarita Quihuis is secretary, Enid Pearson is treasurer, and John Burt is assistant treasurer.
 
Carolyn Spitz, a retired HP project manager and booksale volunteer, is joining the Friends board. The other Friends board members in 2008 are Rudy Batties, Gretchen Emmons, Jeff Levinsky, Gerry Masteller, Bob Otnes, Jim Schmidt, Barbara Silberling, Steve Staiger, Ellen Wyman, and Tom Wyman.

 
Younger Adults Use Libraries More

(1/9/08) According to a recent study by the Pew Internet and American Life Project and the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, American adults 30 and under use libraries more than older adults, defying expectations that greater computer fluency would lead to lower library usage.  The study found that 62% of 18-30 year-olds visited a library at least once a year, compared to 53% of adults overall and just 32% of those over 72.  Indeed, 61% of Internet users had also visited their library at least once during the year compared to 28% of non-Internet users. 
 
The study looked at other factors that correlate with higher library use.  The authors cite "convenience" as one factor, noting that 58% whose library is within two miles visited at least annually versus only 42% whose libraries were further away.  Educational level matters too, as 68% of college graduates had made at least one library visit over a year, compared to 44% of those with only a high school diploma.
 
Study participants were asked where they go for help in dealing with specific problems.  Just 13% cited libraries, with the Internet the highest at 58% and professional advisors such as doctors and lawyers at 53%.  However, for many without computers, the library is where they access the Internet.