Snapshot: One Day in the Life of Illinois Libraries

We joined many libraries this past month when participating in "Snapshot: One Day in the Life of Illinois Libraries"on Wednesday, February 10.

In Homer Township our library serves as many things to many people, and a typical library day includes events for babies through seniors. This unique "snapshot" provided us with the opportunity to document usage in a fun way, with pictures and by asking people to tell us exactly what they think. And they did! The results are interesting and much of what I learned reinforces that we serve as a true social center in our community.

We have compiled Snapshot Day comments with pictures and statistics into a handy little booklet, which we will be providing to our elected officials to chronicle our library's importance to the community and how customers truly rely on us.

YOU SAID...a sampling of Homer Library's customer comments:

1. The teen section is pretty cool. I like the colors and chairs. It's a cool place to hang.

2. The Library is the most important service that Homer Glen provides. I am an ardent user of it. The entire staff is just wonderful.

3. Funding for local libraries should be increased, not cut. In today's society, the library serves as one of the few good resources for families in a time when there are far too many distractions and mischief for our kids to get into.

4. I love the libraries in this system. I rely on them for entertainment, information and books! (My favorite things!) As I cannot afford home-computer internet access I utilize this also. I do NOT know what I would do without the Library and its helpful staff.

5. We could not live without it!

6. Going to the library is a favorite regular outing with my daughter (written by a dad!)

7. I LOVE my Homer Glen Library. Great selection of materials and anything I have ever wanted was available thru the Prairie Cat System. Also ALL those that work at my Homer Glen Library are Knowledgeable, Efficient, and Super Friendly!

8. On a scale of 1-10 with 10 being the highest, my library receives a 25.

9. This is the "Best Library Staff on the Southwest Side." The people who work here do an "Excellent Job"

10. Our Library is a welcoming place for our community members and families. They offer great programming and a friendly, helpful staff. We visit our library weekly, as well as, our library's bookmobile. We enjoy using the library's computers, programs, and children's area.

11. The Homer Bookmobile is awesome! They have a bunch of books and DVD's! I love my Bookmobile!

Snapshot Day, was created as a project of the Illinois Library Association, and helped us to showcase libraries in a challenging and exciting time. The vibrancy of our services and value to the communities we serve continues to grow and we are more relevant than ever today. More than 90 libraries showcased photos of this special day which can be found here.

Visit your library today and look at it with fresh eyes to truly see what we offer. Imagine even more @ your library.

Strengthen Your Library Image with Community Involvement

Connections matter. When I first came on as Director of the Homer Township Public Library I immediately noticed an opportunity. The library had connections with the local schools but did not have strong connections with other community agencies. In my experience if library leaders are not "at the table" many community leaders do not take notice of the library, except peripherally. Without putting ourselves out there and telling our story the library is often not seen as a significant community "player." The vibrancy of our services and value to the community is often not front and center unless we make it known.

Get Involved!
So I joined the Homer Township Chamber of Commerce and made many new connections, partnerships and friends. I was elected to the Chamber of Commerce board (and served for seven years). I wrote an LSTA grant which created a Chamber/Library partnership. Librarians gave presentations at several Chamber Business Luncheons to demonstrate what support we provide to the business members and community at large. I was elected President of the Homer Chamber of Commerce in 2005. A crowning moment was when Homer Library received the Chamber's Business of the Year Award in 2006.

Connections matter. Currently I sit on two other community boards including the Lions Club and the Homer Glen Community and Nature Center Foundation. I served on the Parent/Teacher Organization as Vice President for several years. Grant writing for the Village of Homer Glen led to my service on the Village's Green Community Committee. The Library is now included in quarterly Intergovernmental Planning Commission meetings for both Homer Glen and Lockport. Homer Library is better known - and understood - because of these connections. Our library message and importance to the Homer Community has been strengthened and enriched.

I was honored this month at the Homer Township Chamber of Commerce's 20th Anniversary Event for my leadership and community involvement in service as a trustee. It was a proud moment witnessed by 120 business members and local officials.

Strengthen Your Image
Make the connections to strengthen your library's visibility. Be a voice. Extol your increasing use (more than 600 visitors daily!) or point out your newest services (Polish Story time!). It is up to us as librarians to ensure that our residents, including community leaders, understand what a library is today.

Homer Library - with 30+ employees and a 1.6 million dollar budget - operates like a business and I often point that out. That includes using "best practices" for employing different types of public relations (print, blogs, e-news, and face-to-face communications) to spotlight the library. Many people still have that image of the "little local library" but in truth we are a dynamic and vital community center of activity. Highlight the library at every opportunity and tell your story. Showcase your services with photos to demonstrate this, too.

We need our communities to realize today how essential libraries are in supporting residents at every stage in their lives. We need to encourage both residents and community leaders to become library advocates and - even more so - library champions. Break those library stereotypes we still experience; challenge yourself to get involved with other agencies to be both seen and heard. It will make a true difference.