7 takeaways from Rochester City Council’s library review – Post Bulletin

ROCHESTER — Space requirements were high on the agenda for an update to Rochester City Council’s library on Monday.

“We’ve been struggling with space for a really long time, making sure we have the best space to provide quality services to the community,” said Karen Lemke, director of the Rochester Public Library, of a unique study session at the public library.

She pointed to a 1988 report that indicated the need for a 103,000-square-foot facility with a library.

“To put that in perspective, the building we’re in now is about 84,000 to 85,000 square feet,” she said of the library, built in 1995 at 101 Second St. SE.

Lemke said the city’s library council has been looking at growth options without encountering a successful solution, as staff continue to make adjustments to provide services in tight spaces.

On Monday, staff highlighted some of the findings as well as the efforts being made:

1. Older items are disposed of faster.

Lemke said the 1988 library study indicated that the library should aim to have 548,000 items in its collection by 2010.

A preliminary inventory at the end of 2022 showed fewer than 453,000 media on library shelves.

“There’s not enough space on the shelves,” she said, noting the need to sort out older items as new books arrive.

2. The collection is shrinking.

While employees have given up office space to create areas for teens and other programs resulting from demand highlighted in community surveys and other submissions, the additional space requirements have also reduced the number of shelves.

Reduced shelving capacity means the library’s collection is almost 26,000 fewer physical items than it was 10 years ago.

The discounted items have not dampened activity, however, the library loaned more than 2 million items in 2022, an all-time high.

3. Switching to digital materials will incur additional costs.

The Rochester library began moving to digital materials before the pandemic and has seen increased usage as of 2020.

“We contend that some people didn’t know about (digital items) until it was the option, the only option for a short time,” Lemke said of the ability to access books on a variety of electronic devices.

However, the cost per digital book comes with additional costs as well as a limited shelf life.

While the library can purchase a copy of Prince Harry’s “Spare” at list price, they pay $55 to access a digital copy with a two-year time limit.

Kim Edson, the library’s head of reading services, said the additional costs would come from publishers wanting to ensure they remain in control of the content.

4. Children’s books show increased printing activity.

The number of physical books going home with the library’s youngest readers increased 4.5% in 2022 compared to 2018.

“Kids are getting their hands on books and materials, and we expect that to remain strong,” Lemke said, noting the increased desire from parents who want their children to reduce time with electronic devices.

5. Spaces continue to shift.

Meeting rooms on both floors of the library have given way to storage needs, but a second-floor meeting room is preparing to reopen.

Sara Patalita, the library’s director of references, said the room will eventually seat up to 50 people without tables and will be available free of charge.

Reservations and Usage Policy finalized.

6. A bookcase pilot is nearby.

The library is preparing a test of the new technology that will make items available in remote locations.

Lemke said the first bookcase will be installed at the city’s fire station at 1875 41st St. NW, which is in an area with a reduced number of current library users.

Andy Stehr, the library’s director of circulation services, said the fire station was chosen for the first try because it was already connected to the city’s secure Internet network, which reduced the cost of rewiring another location.

The box allows users to scan their library cards and remove items, which are logged as the system scans their contents with each use.

“The idea is to react with that and gather data,” Stehr said, noting that staff will be testing a variety of items to see what’s being used the most.

Media can be returned to the box or library.

7. The next steps remain uncertain.

Rochester Library Board President Adam Meyers said the board has an unwavering stance that the library has outgrown its place but must remain downtown.

“We need to keep planning for the future,” he told the council.

Lemke said the board and employees are looking for advice from the council on how to proceed.

As council members outlined options ranging from creating small branches with limited services to redefining the focus, Lemke said a long-term goal needs to be set to determine which ideas align with the city’s priorities.

“There are probably a thousand different solutions that we hear every day,” she said of suggestions and ideas presented by library users.