[Libs-Or] Local Libraries are today's Think Out Loud topic!

[Katie Anderson]

If you are able to tune in to OPB radio today at 9 a.m. the topic of conversation on Think Out Loud will be local libraries!  The Think Out Loud host typically interviews one or two guests about a topic, and invites people to call in to ask questions and join the conversation.  You can also join the conversation online by posting to the Think Out Loud blog: http://www.opb.org/thinkoutloud/shows/local-library/.  There are already several comments about libraries that you may be interested in reading and responding to.



Katie Anderson, Library Development Services
* Youth Services Consultant * Oregon Center for the Book Coordinator *
Oregon State Library, 250 Winter St. NE, Salem, OR 97301
katie.anderson at state.or.us<mailto:katie.anderson at state.or.us>, 503-378-2528
Local Library
http://www.opb.org/thinkoutloud
AIR DATE: Tuesday, July 13th 2010
POSTED BY: REBECCA ROBINSON
Photo credit: Ozyman/Creative Commons<http://www.flickr.com/photos/33377700@N00/443545349/> / Creative Commons<http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/2.0/deed.en>

After 35 years as a librarian in Hood River, June Knudson is out of a job. On July 1, all branches of the Hood River County public library system shut their doors<http://news.opb.org/article/7752-libraries-hood-river-county-close/> after voters defeated a funding measure. A lifetime book lover who as a child found libraries "a wonderful way to enlarge my world," Knudson says that the library's role<http://www.facebook.com/pages/Hood-River-OR/Hood-River-County-Library/167307002799> in her community went well beyond books. From storytime for toddlers to ESL classes for adults (as well as free Internet and community meeting spaces), the county's public libraries provided a host of resources not easily accessible elsewhere. With the building's closure, families, job seekers, and library patrons of all stripes are acutely feeling the loss of a community institution.

The scene in Troutdale, by contrast, is celebratory. On Monday, the city's new library opened<http://www.theoutlookonline.com/news/story.php?story_id=127846305478486700> to much fanfare, and residents flocked to the converted shopping center space to check out its well-stocked shelves and state-of-the-art technology. The head librarian, Bryan Fearn, hopes that in short order the library will become a bustling community center.

Multnomah County Commissioners<http://portland.bizjournals.com/portland/stories/2010/07/05/daily27.html> are considering a ballot measure to create a special library tax district that would provide a more steady source of funding for libraries and enable more success stories like Troutdale.

What's the role of the public library in your community? How do you use your local library? Have you seen services or programs be cut?

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