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Saturday, July 04, 2009
Booked solid
By Rick Nathanson
Journal Staff Writer
Michelle Aguilar sits at a bank of computer terminals at the Main Library in Downtown Albuquerque. She is dressed like the lawyers and business people who walk hurriedly on the sidewalks outside.
"I recently got laid off and can't afford DSL (high-speed Internet) service at home anymore, and dial-up doesn't help when you're looking for a job," she says.
Aguilar, 49, who is looking for a job in human resources, says the library has been her refuge, providing her with the computer, printing, scanning and faxing tools needed to send out resumes and apply for up to 40 jobs daily. "With (the) dial-up Internet connection at home, I might be able to do one or two a day," she says.
Business at area public libraries is booming, partly as a result of a troubled economy that has forced people to look for ways to save money without sacrificing the quality of their lifestyles.
Aguilar has a special "smart" library card that she purchased for a one-time $3 fee. It gives her access to the library's computers, and she can add money to it to pay for printing black-and-white documents at 15 cents a page. That's a bargain, she says, compared to some one-stop print, pack and post stores.
In addition, she uses her library card to check out books, movies and music CDs. "It's free, which is really nice because it relieves me of the burden of having to spend money for all these amenities right now,"
Aguilar is not alone.
Lucio Romero, 55, lost his job at Eclipse Aviation and has been using the computers at the public libraries and at the city's senior centers in his job search. He came upon the rows of movie DVDs and the music CDs and discovered a new use for the library.
"It's convenient," he says. "There are libraries all around the city, so I can return items to any of the branches. Plus I'm saving money."
For everyone
Libraries have long been regarded as a key resource in a literate society and crucial to a democracy by providing open access to information.
But as they have incorporated the newest technology and expanded their offerings "people are finding that the library is a great value for themselves and their families," says Julia Clarke, director of the Albuquerque/Bernalillo County Library System. "We have something for every age group, and that's really important now because people are watching their pocketbooks."
In addition to books, magazines, newspapers, movies and music, the Main Library has a "Teen Zone" equipped with Nintendo Wii games.
Three other Wii gaming systems float among the other library branches. Rio Rancho libraries will have Wii games available starting in September, says Bill Cicola, Rio Rancho's director of Library and Information Services.
The libraries in Albuquerque and Rio Rancho are Wi-Fi equipped to provide wireless Internet connections for laptop computers.
In addition, they offer a wide assortment of adult and youth programs.
Libraries have hosted cooking classes, beekeeping demonstrations, Lego contests, live musical concerts and battle of the band competitions. Nearly every branch has book and hobby clubs, poetry readings, storytelling and art exhibits.
Although Clarke says she is "thrilled that the library is being used by so many," she also believes that many people, including regular uses, "may not be aware of everything we have to offer."
The library can be an important resource for people looking for information on medical, consumer and legal issues, as well as automobile or home repair, she says.
"And then there's the bargain of all time for parents, Live Homework Help, which connects students through the computer for one-on-one tutoring for subjects like math, science, English, social studies and composition."
Using their smart library cards, students can access the homework service from any computer.
The ability of libraries to meet the changing needs of their communities is the reason libraries have remained successful, particularly in tough economic times, says Cicola. "Our saving grace is having an extraordinary staff that listens to the public and responds."
Proof that ever more people are using public libraries is in the numbers, says Clarke.
Attendance at Albuquerque public library adult programs rose 11 percent between July 2008 and June 2009, while the figure for children's programs was 22 percent.
The 17 libraries in the public system recorded nearly 2.5 million visits during that period, an increase of about 2 percent over the previous year. That's still significant considering that "more and more people are accessing library services from their home computers and not visiting the library branches," Clarke says.
By the numbers
The Albuquerque/Bernalillo County Public Library System has:
• 17 branches, including the Special Collections Library, which is a noncheck-out branch.
• More than 1.3 million items in its holdings, including more than 1 million books.
• About 75,000 DVDs; 21,000 CDs; 23,800 audio books.
• More than 400 books that can be downloaded to a personal computer or personal reading device.
The Rio Rancho Public Library system has:
• Three branches
• More than 170,000 items in its holdings, including more than 160,000 books, 2,465 audio books and 4,100 DVDs.
Learn more
For information about the Albuquerque/Bernalillo County Library System, go to cabq.gov/library; for more on the Rio Rancho Public Library, go to www.ci.rio-rancho.nm.us, click on departments, and then click on library and information services.
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