Community Libraries as Online Partners

I am in awe of the libraries of southeastern Minnesota and the supportive communities they serve. Here’s why, as once again I share a day in the life of a multitype librarian.

Molly (I introduced you to her in SELCO Librarian) and I went to Houston to begin work on a grant project for which Molly is the project manager. As we add new libraries to the SELCO Online Library System, we write grant applications called Community Libraries as Online Partners to fund the process. Again this year we have been awarded LSTA funds to bring on 2 schools. The first will be the Houston Elementary School.

Community Libraries as Online Partners is a fact of life in our region, as libraries who are regional partners on the automation system and in resource sharing support, encourage, and advocate for and with each other. School, public, special, and academic libraries are part of the fabric of the region’s communities and serve the same citizens together.

Houston High School has been online for several years. Automating the elementary library is part of the plan for the district, the town, and the region. We met Media Specialist Shelley at the school to plan the process. While the grant application set forth the timeline we envisioned in February, a flood, books thrown hurriedly into boxes, and a remodeling/restoration project which included asbestos removal have necessitated some modification to our original plan. Shelley is undaunted, and even the 95+ degree temperature in the school didn’t dampen her enthusiasm to get going (or was that 95+ the Minnesota humidity?) While the floor is still bare, and the water-damaged shelves aren’t ready for books yet, she and her assistants will be cataloging the books from their temporary cardboard storage containers.

As Molly and I talked, the admirable cooperation and support between the school and public library is apparent. The cataloging will be done following the same model we used last year, when we automated Houston’s new public library (that was last year’s Community Libraries project). The school media assistant worked during her summer vacation to accomplish that task and now is ready to do it all again. Books requiring OCLC cataloging will be sent to the regional headquarters through the public library delivery service (the school does not have summer delivery). The public library offered assistance through use of air-conditioned space for an additional cataloger. Did I mention that Shelley is on the public library board and is the representative to the regional library board?

Then on to the public library. Visiting Houston MN (along the famous Root River Trail) is like walking into library town. On the main street is the public library. You can’t miss it, because it has books all over the exterior of the building. You just know this town loves its library and the information access it brings to the economic development of the community.

Director Liz met us with delight and introduced us to everybody in the place. The President of the Friends of the Library was there, as well as a teacher at the school. A teen volunteer from Cheyenne Wyoming spends her summers in Houston. Another library customer proclaimed the excellence of the library service provided and recommended the author she is currently reading. (she convinced me) You can’t buy an advertisement like this. I’d like to bring this lady to Library Legislative Day! Heck – I’d like to bring this whole Community Libraries town to Legislative Day!