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HomeMy WebLinkAbout1993 - October 21 - Status Report from B. Benezra OAK BROOK PUBLIC LIBRARY CURRENT STATUS October 21, 1993 Researched by Barbara Benezra The Oak Brook Public Library is open 56 hours per week, Monday through Thursday from 10:00 a.m. to 9100 p.m. and Friday and Saturday from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. The library is 5,000 sq. ft. in size and contains approximately 38,000 books. The library is staffed by one head librarian, one assistant librarian and 5 part-time adult and 2 student employees. To obtain a library card, one must be a resident of the Village of Oak Brook, provide some proof of address and apply in person. Children 14 years of age and under need the signature of a parent or guardian to obtain a card. The Oak Brook Library as well as all public libraries in the state are established and governed by Illinois Library Laws and statues. There are three ways to govern a public library serving villages of less than 500,000 population. These are: I . Local Library, 2. Library District or 3. Village Library. A Local Library selects trustees by appointment or election and corporate authorities collect taxes based on budgets prepared by the library board of trustees. A Library District is established as an independent taxing authority to "establish, equip, maintain and operate a library." Our library was created under the Village Library Act which allowed the Village of Oak Brook to establish and maintain our library and to prohibit the Village from incurring any indebtedness, that is TAX, to administer our Library. it should be noted that Oak Brook has the dubious distinction of being the only public library in the state of Illinois currently so governed. . - 2 - No specific property tax is used to support the library . Money to operate the library is obtained through the Village corporate fund , as budgeted by the librarian and approved by the Village Board of Trustees , on an annual basis . Currently , approximately $267 ,000 . is budgeted for library use . In Oak Brook , the Village president appoints three residents to serve as Library Commissioners for a 2 year term . Commission members have no authority in Library matters and only serve as a recommending body to the Village Trustees . One Village Trustee serves as the Library Liaison . Traditionally , those duties have been assigned to the newest trustee member of the Village Board . Therefore , each time a new person is elected or appointed to the Village Board of Trustees , he or she assumes the duties of library liaison , along with his or her other responsibilities . The Oak Brook Library Association is an independent organization dedicated to assisting the Village in the enhancement and growth of the Library . Residential and corporate membership is on a voluntary basis . Annual membership levels vary from $15 . to $100 . per year . For fiscal year June 1 , 1992 to May 31 , 1993 , Oak Brook Library Association membership was approximately 600 . In addition to a bi-:annual newsletter that is mailed to all Village residents , the Association sponsors two cultural events during the year , titled Evergreen Series Concerts . The Association has also sponsored from time to time , cultural events geared specifically to children , titled Acorn Series Concerts . Association meetings are held in the lower level of the Village Hall , on the second Tuesday of every other month 3 - beginning in January and all residents are welcome. The Librarian also attends these meetings. She occasionally states a need that she sees for a specific item or service that would benefit library services but has not been budgeted. Over the years, the Association has provided such things as: microfilming of The Oak Brook Doings and tables for the patron access computer terminals. Recently, the Association purchased a baby grand piano. The piano is being stored in the Bath and Tennis Clubhouse. A piano is often used as part of an Evergreen Series Concert. NO tax dollars were used for this purchase. The Association has accumulated money over the years from dues and decided to make this worthwhile investment, The piano will be used in a premier performance at 4:00 p.m., at the BET, this Sunday, October 24, 1993, and all are welcome to attend this free concert. A library is defined as a repository for literary and artistic materials, such as books, periodicals, newspapers, pamphlets, prints, and audio/visual materials kept for reading or reference. Certainly, the Oak Brook Public Library meets this definition. The entry level of our library houses the reference section, periodical shelves with subscriptions to 100 different magazines and newspapers, individual study carols, the circulation desk and a photocopying machine, where copies can he made for $0.10 each. It is also now possible to fax documents from our library for a small fee. The Library Association coordinates the exhibits that are displayed in the case found near the circulation desk, on a monthly basis. Village residents are always welcome to exhibit their collections in this case, . , - 4 - Our library is a member of the OuPage Library System, That means we share resources with other public libraries in the county as well as academic, school and special libraries. If a patron is in need of a hook or material that is not stocked in our Oak Brook Library, once it is located in another library, it can be borrowed from that library and delivered to the Oak Brook library, for convenient, local pick-up. This service is called an inter-library loan. Also, a resident with a valid Oak Brook library card is able to go in person to the other libraries throughout DuPage County and directly check out books from that other library. This service is known as reciprocal borrowing. It also follows that non-Oak Brook residents with valid library cards from their home community can and do use our library on a reciprocal basis. Card catalogues are no longer maintained in our library. Rather a computer search is possible on a patron access terminal . The staff is always willing to help with its use. The adult non-fiction and fiction hooks are housed on the upper level of the library. The library maintains a subject heading list that provides general information by subject and where to find related materials. There are lists for both the children's and adult books. The library also has a permanent collection of large print books.. Our library also offers Blind and Handicapped Services through the LiuPage Library System. Application is made through the Oak Brook Library and materials are mailed directly to the individual 's home. This is a federally funded program that provides a free machine that - 5 - will play cassettes or records or brail material for the blind . Materials are also returned by mail from the borrower at no charge . The Library also has a CD player and CDs that can be used in-house , in the library only . The library also has a collection of hundreds of books on tape . An interesting suggestion as to how to benefit from this service , is to check out a number of these tapes before a long car ride . Residents who winter in warmer climates return mail the tapes upon arrival at their destination . Paperback books that have been donated are stored on metal stands throughout the library . These books are borrowed on an honor system , no need to check them out , only to return them on your honor . Did you know that you could register to vote in the library? Or , that volunteers will deliver materials , on a temporary or permanent basis , to home-bound residents? Also , materials are available on a vacation loan basis , for longer periods then the traditional two weeks . When the library is not open , an answering machine will relay the hours of operation and information about any special programs that the library is sponsoring . However , it is not possible to leave a message on this machine . Specific children 's needs are met through story time for 3 to 5 year olds and a summer reading program for pre-school through 8th grade children . The library maintains several types of mini collections that appeal to various age groups ranging from picture books , to read-a-long kits , to books on tape , to cassettes , to Caldecott and Newbery medal winners , to easy readers and Junior high and young adult fiction and non-fiction , as well as children 's paperbacks and new books. There is also a parenting section. Answers to questions that can't be answered in the home can be found through the reference service. Annually, our library acknowledges National Library Week as well as Children's Book Week with separate programs. We have discussed the materials and services currently available in our library. The library as it exists today also has some shortcomings. Certainly the depth of the collections is severely limited by the size of the building. In order to put a new book on the shelf, an old book must be eliminated. There is one table in the reference room and no small conference room or public meeting room. Seating is limited and we offer only 31 chairs for both children and adults. There is no designated reference librarian and no Sunday hours. Also, each staff member is expected to perform several duties such as answer the phone, check out books and guide or help a patron. This often means that a patron is seriously delayed in receiving a service and results in that patron looking to a different library for services. We lack the space for a periodical database such as Info-Mac, videos, or a microfilm reader for newspaper indexes. An area for high school and college students is completely absent. The staff work area is overcrowded and needs improved working conditions. The current library has no storage room and no booth for a typewriter or personal computer. The library does not meet accessibility codes required by law in the Americans with Disabilities Act. And, finally, parking is severely limited. - 7 - For the sake of comparison : Oak Brook Hinsdale Downers Grove Elmhurst Size of building (sq .ft . ) 5 ,000 32 ,000 40 ,000 30 ,300 Size of Collections : Books 38 ,000 96 ,000 180 ,000 187 ,000 Periodicals 100 284 440 1 ,070 # of Employees 9 46 95 90+ Hours Open per Week 56 69 1/2 72 72 or 65 Photocopy Machines : Public Access 1 4 3 4 Staff Only 0 1 1 1 Current Restrictions on Non-Resident Use: HINSDALE : 1 . Only 3 items per card per visit . 2 . An additional $5 .00 fee plus standard charges for an on-line search . DOWNERS GROVE: (Also applies to residents) 1 . Only 5 non-fiction items per subject per card per visit . 2 . Only 3 videos per card per visit from the junior room . ELMHURST : 1 . No on-line search . 2 . Cannot check out books designated "hot copies" ex . , new , best seller fiction or non-fiction . In conclusion , it is hoped that we all have a better understanding of the Oak Brook Library's current facility and services , as they are available today!