One Idiot's Opinion

Shawn P. Williams: Budget woes a chance to remake libraries

Rumors of the public library's decline are proving fairly accurate: Patronage and lending are down while the cost of operation remains quite high. In this age of quick and fast, the library is too often slow and methodical.

That reality needs to guide City Hall's decisions as it puts the Dallas Public Library system on the budget chopping block. Yes, the slashing will be painful and messy, with inevitable cutbacks in operating hours and staff. And as someone whose mother insisted I have a library card growing up, that's disappointing.

But the truth is that libraries are not dying, they're dead. And these tough times offer our library system and its allies an opportunity to find new methods. We're all learning to do more with less, and the library is no exception.

What does less look like when it comes to the library? Besides fewer hours and staffers, it may mean fewer branches. Perhaps the system could expand its Bookmobile program, a perfect example of the library literally meeting customers where they are.

The library must be less museum – waiting for an audience to admire its wonder – and more laboratory. It must give residents more reasons to walk through the doors.

For example, a popular attraction is when authors or even residents come into a branch to read to patrons. And some have performing spaces, such as the Black Box Theater at the Hampton-Illinois branch. Additionally, the "how to" features deserve expansion, with more classes such as how to build a website or create a Facebook page.

A recent Dallas Morning News article noted that the library system has 805 computers. That's not nearly enough. When I was a sales representative, I often stopped at libraries during my lunch hour to browse the internet. Whether at the Oak Lawn or Park Forest branch, there was almost always a wait to use a computer.

Computer access is definitely a resource residents are looking for. Not only should the library system assess its budget priorities to get more computers into the system, but also secure other technology aimed at e-book reading.

Sure, nothing beats the feel, the smell or the texture of a book. You can't turn down the pages on an eReader or scribble notes with a pencil in the margins. But these are the delivery methods young people are looking for, and libraries should become the place to find them.

While the library is still vital for families, it was never designed to only serve children. Libraries compete with big book stores for adult patrons and must find a way to lure them back. It's going to take more than lattes and paninis to win back those who now use coffee shops and cafes as their study hall and meeting place.

Why can't the library start selling new books? If scores of patrons are on a waiting list to check out the new Oprah biography, might some buy a new copy from the library if it was available? As a southern Dallas resident, at least a couple of libraries are closer to my house than the nearest major book store. And when was the last time that your favorite author held a book signing at the local library?

I'm not advocating abandoning the system as we know it. But budget cuts are coming, so what better time to transform libraries from a relic of the past into a tool for the future