librarians and libertarians
I recently set first foot in the local Rocky River Public Library for a Spanish group, then browsed their stellarly-stocked shelves for dessert take-out.
RRPL is independent and, while affiliated with the county system, wouldn't accept my Cleveland Public Library card. I had to sign up for some new plastic to thicken the wallet, and will have to update my script to scrape borrowed items from their page (as well as CPL's) to my library account loanlist -- which, James tells me, helps Ashcroft do his near-former job.
Dropping by their site to check my account, I noticed the boasted 9th Best Public Library in the USA status, and clicked through to discover Hennen’s American Public Library Ratings, where Ohio is ranked #1 in the country this year and last!
The Cuyahoga County Public Library is first of 77 libraries in the highest population category. Ohio (particularly Cleveland-area) libraries are smeared all over the charts, with top ten spots (--accounting for seven in one category!--) in the seven largest population groups (see Top Ten Libraries in Each Population Category). My Cleveland/University Heights hangout is a very respectable 8th in the 50k category.
Thanks to Christine, the NexGen Librarian, for her email reminder:
CLEVNET has a world-class collection. Some libraries are adopting the "buy only what's popular" philosophy, which neglects a lot of independent, specialty items. Please keep in mind how lucky you are, and tell all your friends to use the library!
Right on. Check it all out!
comments
just had to point out a few other library bits:
1. The county is interested in consolidating the independent libraries (RR, Shaker, Cleveland Hts, Lakewood, etc.) into the Cuyahoga County PL system. This would NOT be a good thing! Those libraries would lose their very local flavor and the materials they buy would not be as reflective of the people who go there. I used to work at Shaker Library and patrons used to go on about how they preferred Shaker over the county system because we had more of what they liked.
2. There was an article in the Free Times recently about consolidating the independent libraries:
http://www.freetimes.com/modules.php?op=modload&name=News&file=article&sid=2192
3. Lakewood library is pretty cool. They have one of the most useful library websites I've run across: http://www.lkwdpl.org - I know how you east siders don't like to cross the river, but you should check it out :)
4. Ohio has the best libraries because each community gets funding from the state in an equal and fair proportion. This money - the Library and Local Government State Fund (LLGSF) has been threatened lately due to the poor economic climate in Ohio. Also, certain members of the state govt. would have that money tied to internet filtering (ala the Child Internet Protection Act/CIPA) - i.e., you don't get $$ unless you install filters on your Internet computers. This would in essence shut down about 75% of Ohio's libraries. Internet filters don't work!! They censor things unnecessarily (I witnessed WebSense filter the Progressive Arts Alliance's web page - www.paalive.org - for "explicit sex", which is a laugh if you know what they do), plus they fail to filter out "legitimately" obscene stuff pretty frequently....
-- christine (December 17, 2004 6:10 PM)