District 5 Supervisor Kenneth Stokes believes library branches in rural Hinds County are not meeting the needs of residents. At this morning's Hinds County supervisors' meeting, Stokes said the hours of operation at some county libraries are inconvenient for school-age children and that the facilities need upgraded Internet service. Courtesy Flickr/CCAC_North_Library
Monday, December 17, 2012
District 5 Supervisor Kenneth Stokes believes library branches in rural Hinds County are not meeting the needs of residents. At this morning's Hinds County supervisors' meeting, Stokes said the hours of operation at some county libraries are inconvenient for school-age children and that the facilities need upgraded Internet service.
The Jackson/Hinds Library system has 15 branch locations in the Jackson area and other municipalities in the county.
District 4 Phil Fisher suggested having some libraries open at noon so they can stay open later into the evening.
"We just want to make sure if we're going to have libraries that they're available," Fisher said.
Board President and District 1 Supervisor Robert Graham said the county is negotiating with at AT&T to expand broadband Internet access countywide. Graham said he expects to sign the agreement this week. The board took no action on adjusting library hours.
The board began the meeting with a presentation to District 2 Supervisor Doug Anderson who announced his retirement last week. Anderson has served on the board since 1993 when he replaced outgoing Supervisor Bennie Thompson, who was elected to Congress.
Graham thanked Anderson, a former state lawmaker, for his "spirited hard work" in securing funding for historically black colleges and universities and advocating for minority business participation in government contracts.
District 3 Supervisor Peggy Hobson-Calhoun said she hoped Anderson's retirement from the rigors of public service would have a positive effect on his physical health. Anderson suffered two strokes last year and has diabetes. As a result, he often missed supervisors' meetings and at times had difficulty speaking.
Fisher, the lone Republican on the board, called Anderson a man of integrity.
"Throughout the years, we have disagreed on many issues and agreed on few, but I always knew where he stood," Fisher said.
Comments
JohnFromJackson 11 years, 4 months ago
Perhaps the library board didn't get the memo. People don't use libraries any more. They have access to 10,000 times more information on their cell phone than any library in the state.
Perhaps that money would be better spent by teaching kids how to spell and punctuate.
donnaladd 11 years, 4 months ago
I love libraries. But I will say that what we just went through to renew four books I took out for story research here was remarkable. You have to go there to renew, for one thing. Fifteen years ago, when I was a freelancer in Colorado Springs, I used the library all the time. I could call the library to renew books.
There must be a better way, involving a telephone if not a computer or the Internet.
Library_Lover 11 years, 4 months ago
I hope you both, donnaladd and JohhnFromJackson, don't mind being wrong.
According to the American Library Association, on average, Americans check out more than 7 books per year. They also go to libraries three times more often per year than to the movies. Libraries are also crucial for those without Internet access at home: for job searches, for research and school, for communicating and interacting with the rest of the world. Reference librarians across the country answer 5.7 million questions--not yearly, not monthly, but weekly. Libraries are a fabulous resource that we, as a nation and as a state, still use and need.
As for book renewal policies at your local library, I assume that reference is not for patrons of the Jackson-Hinds Library System. (I'm confused as to this point; it seems that I've seen the name Donna Ladd pop up in my neighborhood foundation social media site, which is most definitely in Jackson. No matter.) JHLS, to my knowledge still allows patrons to renew materials over the phone or via the Internet. Of course, the books can't be overdue or on hold for someone else.
I think it's a brilliant idea to funnel more of our county's money toward libraries. They have been severely underfunded for years. Internet service is not the only improvement they could use, though. Clerks there start below the poverty line, and those with advanced degrees don't make much more. The libraries themselves need upgrading. Training and funding for better databases would be terrific. Libraries are what the community puts into them. Hinds County has been slighting theirs for years.
jhlibrary 11 years, 4 months ago
Sorry you had that experience. The Jackson/Hinds Library System does offer online renewals from the library system's Web page and phone calls to any of the branches will result in a renewal. Again, I apologize for your inconvenience.
The direct link to access your account is http://75.144.59.10/uhtbin/cgisirsi.e...">http://75.144.59.10/uhtbin/cgisirsi.e....
833maple 11 years, 4 months ago
2,736,599 people used the Internet computers in Mississippi public libraries (MS Library Commission, 2010). I don't agree with much that Stokes proposes, but he's on target with this recommendation.
To the contrary JohnfromJackson, people do use libraries. Many Mississippians, particularly in rural areas, don't have access to the internet and/or a computer. My daughter's computer crashed last summer and she had to rely on the computers at our local library until I could afford to buy another laptop which was several months later. Stop by the library next time and you'll be amazed at the people waiting to use the computer. And yes, they do need to improve their level of service and I'm sure they are working on that... but it does take money.
833maple 11 years, 4 months ago
Oh, and by the way, libraries are great places to meet for a meeting, tutoring session or just hang out place to discuss your latest favorite book.
donnaladd 11 years, 4 months ago
I'm not wrong, Library_lover. We had four books out and called to renew over the phone. They said we had to bring them in. I couldn't get there because I had the flu. Today our executive assistant took three of the books (the other is at home), which were several days late by now, to renew. They made her call me, and I got on the phone to tell them it was me even though she had a JFP check to use for the fines. Then they didn't want her to pay all the fines including on the book I have at home because she did have it physically with her; the impression we got from the phone call and her visit there is that they only renew books or take fines on them if they physically can touch them. It was a cluster-you-know-what for her.
jhlibrary, I appreciate hearing that, but the folks who work at the libraries might need to hear it as well. Thanks much. I don't plan to give up on y'all yet; I like libraries too much to stay away. But it doesn't need to be a royal pain the ass to renew four books and try to pay the fine.
Pilgrim3 11 years, 4 months ago
Donna, let me guess, Northside Library?
donnaladd 11 years, 4 months ago
No, Welty. My personal favorite branch.
833maple 11 years, 4 months ago
Kudos to the staff at Richard Wright on McDowell are great and will work with you!!
Book_Lover 11 years, 4 months ago
Actually, donnaladd, you are wrong. Welty DOES allow you to renew most materials via phone or internet. Videos, CDs, and materials requested by other patrons cannot be renewed. Were the books already overdue when you attempted to renew them? If not, I suppose the person working circulation was new and uninformed.
donnaladd 11 years, 4 months ago
It's a little ways from me, but I helped name that library in an informal way! ;-)
donnaladd 11 years, 4 months ago
I mean Richard Wright here, not Welty, by the way.
donnaladd 11 years, 4 months ago
No, Book_lover, I'm not wrong. ;-) We called, and they would not allow us to renew them over the phone. Period.
I'm told today that it was probably because we had more than two books (had four) that were overdue (only a few days), so we had to take them in. I'd argue that that is an absurd rule (10 books at two months or such, I could see), and it doesn't encourage busy people to use the library.
Blue_Runner 11 years, 4 months ago
The good people at the Welty Library have always allowed me to renew overdue books by phone. The Jackson/Hinds Library System also offers renewals over their website. The exception to this allowance is an overdue fine of $5 or more. The libraries charge 10 cents a day for overdue print materials; $1 a day for audio/video. Our libraries are not only a vital source of information, but they operate on the cutting edge of the fight for freedom of speech and privacy. They deserve our support, no matter how busy we are.
donnaladd 11 years, 4 months ago
I agree in principle. But in practice, and the reality of the Internet, it would help to have more user-friendly systems to encourage those of us to love libraries to keep using them. As I said, it was amazing in Colorado Springs, and we were surprised to see how difficult this was. Perhaps some new best practices are in order in the current climate to keep people coming?
aeroscout 11 years, 4 months ago
Public libraries are rated by a independent number cruncher instead of the professional association. Library directors don't like to be rated. I worked at the local library for over 20 years and it seemed the administration was playing catch up like our public schools. Here is the Hennen's ratings website: http://www.haplr-index.com/States%202...">http://www.haplr-index.com/States%202...
Our library is in the population group for cities over 100k in population and is only better than 10% of those urban public libraries so we are a under performing library.
A younger more alert library board would be helpful.
833maple 11 years, 4 months ago
Were you renewing regular books or reference books? I had a book from the special Mississippi section at Welty that I could only renew if I brought it back in.. Regardless, the clerk should have been more helpful.
Onlooker 11 years, 4 months ago
I think Donna's issue is a common customer service complaint after user error creates an inconvenience.
If she had renewed her books before they were overdue there would have been no problem.
If she had sent all the books and not kept one at home then all the fines could have been paid.
I have seen people throw fits when Blockbuster charged them an overdue fee because they put the movies in the dropbox after the store was closed.
I see people fail to follow directions on computers or copy machines or vending machines and then throw fits when they lose money or something fails.
Someone orders the wrong thing off the Japanese menu and then throws a fit when it wasn't what they wanted.
It's true that good customer service often involves bending the rules but that's not always possible and I think it is unfair to complain that you are being victimized in some way if you didn't try to follow the rules to begin with.
donnaladd 11 years, 4 months ago
Library books. I don't think it was about the clerks; it sounds like it was about unclear and perhaps antiquated policies. That's the point; let's make sure libraries stay as user-friendly as possible in an age when fewer people use them.
donnaladd 11 years, 4 months ago
I'm not "throwing a fit," onlooker. I'm talking about dated procedures that might keep people from using the library. I like it, so I'll go back whenever I can get there.
Erica was told that you can't renew books over the phone. They did allow us to pay the whole fine when she went although they didn't want to at first, had to call me at the JFP (even though she had a JFP check), etc. It was an ordeal, in other words, over the attempt to pay fines on four books. That's the whole point, and I offered it to encourage the library to update its policies and be sure they give out good information. Trust me, I don't feel like a victim. I'm not that type of person. ;-)
And as I said, I was down with the flu for two weeks and couldn't talk for a number of days. The books came due then; when I returned to work still sick, Erica called to renew them for me over the phone. They said we had to come down there. Down there, they made it more difficult than it needed to be. See the drill?
Book_Lover 11 years, 4 months ago
Right. You were not allowed to renew your books because they were overdue.
I just want to set the record straight. The Jackson Hinds Library System DOES allow patrons to renew materials via phone/internet. (I know this for fact. I called last night and renewed a few of mine just to make sure.) One exception to this rule is if they are overdue and a fine over a certain limit is owed. It sounds as if this was not made clear to your assistant when she phoned, which is certainly a problem, and I'm sure the incident could have been handled better. However, since you were ill and could not speak, the books could have been renewed online prior to their due date.
Moving on.
I took some time to peruse the website of Pikes Peak Library District in CO Springs, and their renewal procedures are pretty similar to those of JHLS. (If books are on hold for another patron or a fine over 'x' amount is owed, they can not be renewed. If you pay a fine by check, you must have a photo ID.) However, JHLS does not have the capability to receive/send text messages for renewal purposes, does not have an Automated Renewal telephone service, and has no way for patrons to pay fines online. How great would these updates be for Jackson Hinds? And how expensive?? As Library_Lover said, the libraries in Jackson have been underfunded for years. Sadly, until they are given the support they so desperately need, issues such as these will continue to arise. Library lovers, such as donnaladd, need to advocate for their libraries and demand change. :-)
tstauffer 11 years, 4 months ago
I tell you, the Library Lobby seems feistier than the Gun Lobby today. :)
bill_jackson 11 years, 4 months ago
Imagine, if you will, a well armed and irate legion of librarians... I need to find my screenwriting text book from college days.
donnaladd 11 years, 4 months ago
Ha, Bill. ;-) I guess I'm Public Enemy No. 1 because I dared to point out the frustrating process we went through. That's OK. I've gotten calls and apologies from other library folks since I posted it. Others took my constructive criticism in the spirit it was offered.
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