[OPLINLIST] morale

[Epling, Jimmie (KDLA)]

Rachelle,

 

You are not alone in noticing more customers in foul moods and
increasingly stressed out staff.  Here is the link to an article that
appeared in the New York Times yesterday talking about this very
problem.

 

Jimmie

 

Downturn Puts New Stresses on Libraries (Libraries across the country
strive to keep pace with the changing times, ensuring its relevance in
the digital age by becoming something of an indoor town square, and
emphasizing that its money-saving services catered to the community's
needs. These days, however, community need reaches far beyond reference
help - and in many libraries, it is turning a normally tranquil place
into an emotional and stressful hotbed. As the national economic crisis
has deepened and social services have become casualties of budget cuts,
libraries have come to fill a void for more people, particularly
job-seekers and those who have fallen on hard times. Libraries across
the country are seeing double-digit increases in patronage, often from
10 percent to 30 percent, over previous years. But in some cities, this
new popularity - some would call it overtaxing - is pushing libraries in
directions not seen before, with librarians dealing with stresses that
go far beyond overdue fines and misshelved books. Many say they feel
ill-equipped for the newfound demands of the job, the result of working
with anxious and often depressed patrons who say they have nowhere else
to go. Urban ills like homelessness have affected libraries in many
cities for years, but librarians say they are seeing new challenges.
They find people asleep more often at cubicles. Patrons who cannot read
or write ask for help filling out job applications. Some people sit at
computers trying to use the Internet, even though they have no idea what
the Internet is. Staff are instructed to tread carefully. "You don't
want to upset people" and "You don't know what might set somebody off."
Anecdotal evidence from around the country suggests that some libraries
are struggling with their newfound popularity and the social ills that
can come along with it. Libraries are difficult to police because, "The
library is a place where people tend to congregate, and from a public
and government standpoint, you can't really restrict people.")

New York Times. Apr. 1, 2009

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/04/02/us/02library.html?pagewanted=1&_r=1&sq
=library&st=cse&scp=2 

 

 

Jimmie Epling

Regional Library Consultant

Region 8 Field Office

Kentucky Department for Libraries and Archives

P.O. Box 370, 122 South Main Cross St. 

Louisa, KY 41230-0370

O: 606.638.4797 / C: 606.521.0107 / F: 606.638.0586

jimmie.epling at ky.gov <mailto:jimmie.epling at ky.gov> 

 

________________________________

From: Rachelle Miller [mailto:rmiller at tmcpl.org] 
Sent: Thursday, April 02, 2009 11:19 AM
To: oplinlist at oplin.org
Subject: [OPLINLIST] morale

 

In these difficult times, we are seeing an increase in the number of
people in foul moods who are using the library. It's very stressful for
the staff, in addition to the stresses the public have and are bringing
with them when they come through our doors. I'd really appreciate some
examples of ways to increase morale and lift spirits. Obviously we don't
have the money to spend on gift certificates and things like that, so
suggestions on cheap and free ways to boost the morale of the staff and
public would be appreciated!

Thanks in advance!

 

Rachelle Miller

Director

Troy-Miami County Public Library

419 W. Main St.

Troy, Ohio 45373

937.339.0502 ext. 16

 

 

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