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Libraries in West Virginia seem to be doing pretty well for themselves, despite the possible negative consequences of the economy. After some frustrating attempts at searching various West Virginia newspapers (In particular I refer to The Dominion Post, a newspaper in Morgantown, WV, the home of West Virginia University, which makes its newspaper archives accessible by subscription only. This is the same newspaper that I had the misfortune of growing up with, because the journalistic quality is often poor at best, and now they keep it behind Internet lock-and-key. As a result, I had to resort to other methods to get information on academic libraries in West Virginia.), I found some good information about a variety of types of libraries in the Mountain State. So, since I’ve already mentioned academic libraries, I think I might as well go ahead and discuss those. West Virginia University (WVU) is the state university of the state of West Virginia, so it makes sense that I was able to find the most information about their libraries. Currently, it appears that there is a big push toward technology in the WVU libraries. WVU libraries have worked in the past year to improve their eReserve services; to allow access to library services from smartphones; to introduce E-ZBorrow, a “self-serve version of interlibrary loan”; and to introduce the Naxos Music Library, an online music library. More tangibly, WVU finished a renovation of its Evansdale Library earlier this year, introducing a new color scheme (in the school colors of blue and gold), access to a snack area, and the addition of eleven more computers for student access. I consider all of this to be rather impressive, especially the renovation of one of the campus libraries, in light of all the current talk of downsizing libraries. I suppose what one must still ask is, what was sacrificed in order to provide all these new services? Were jobs eliminated? Unfortunately, I didn’t find any articles discussing library jobs one way or the other, and as such I can only remain skeptical about the funding sources for these new services.
As for school libraries in West Virginia, one of the stories that I found was similar to those I found about WVU libraries, whereas the other was a bit more dismal in its report. Addressing the bad news first, the St. Albans high school library has had to face a problem that could hit any library: mold. Due to a faulty heating and cooling system, too much humid outside air was getting pumped into the library, where it encouraged the growth of mold. Workers are trying to combat the mold with bleach and water, but I think we all know how well bleach, water, and books interact. This news follows at least two other reports of mold in school libraries in the past two years, one coming from Lakewood Elementary School, also in St. Albans, and another from Andrew Jackson Middle School in nearby Cross Lanes.
As for the much happier news, just like WVU’s Evansdale Library, Philip Barbour High School has undergone recent renovations. These renovations purposefully incorporated student suggestions in order to provide students with a library that they would like to use. One student referred to the new library as “Starbucks without coffee”, a description that appeals to high school students in West Virginia. After the county superintendent asked the students for input on how to make the library a friendlier environment, she had them make a presentation to the county school board, which was approved. The board then provided $21,000 to supplement a technology grant, which together went to both renovating the library and providing a big screen TV and video cameras for use in student projects. I found this all particularly impressive, because St. Albans is in a traditionally more affluent area of the state (just outside the state capitol of Charleston), whereas Philip Barbour High School in Philippi is located 45 minutes to an hour away from the nearest large town, Clarksburg.
Public libraries in West Virginia seem to be succumbing to the economy more than the other types of libraries I looked into for this project. One article I found on public libraries addressed the fact that they are becoming more technology-focused, providing Internet access to many residents who would otherwise not have access to Internet or often not even to computers. The director of the Bridgeport Public Library even says “We’re getting less and less books nowadays”, because many patrons choose instead to get materials online. However, this turn toward technology hasn’t come without a price. Due to budget cuts and the reallocation of funds, West Virginia libraries are having to look into cutting staff and/or services, something that the librarians say will most hurt those residents who are the most in need of said staff and services, including people without access to computers or the Internet, students without the resources to complete school assignments at home, parents who bring children to the library for reading programs, and sight-impaired people who need access to large-print books. So all said, while some libraries are remaining successful in the current economic situation, others are suffering, and in turn causing difficulties for some patrons.
Lastly, an interesting bit of news I came across, was that the world’s only digital bookmobile visited Huntington in late 2009. The materials available through the digital bookmobile cater to a wide range of users, from “elementary children downloading a Dr. Seuss book onto their iPods [to] someone…blind and unable to read a regular book”. The focus of the digital bookmobile is on downloadable audio books, and it travels around the US and Canada, “bringing enlightenment and education” about this new trend.
All-in-all, it appears that West Virginia libraries are doing fairly well for themselves, including several remodels and innovations. However, the public libraries do seem to be suffering more than any of the other types of libraries that I looked into, a fact that is already proving detrimental to those who are most in need of the services that public libraries provide.
Links:
Cutting library services to hurt residents most in need
Internet transforming modern-day libraries
Students can make a difference
Mold invades St. Albans High library
Digital bookmobile visits Cabell County Public Library
Streaming music to your desktop
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