The Lincoln Library in Springfield will soon take delivery of a bookmobile, which will allow the library to greatly increase the number of Springfield residents it serves, according to director Summer Griffith. Griffith announced the purchase during a presentation before the City Council on Monday, Jan. 30. The company building the diesel hybrid vehicle has not announced a specific delivery date, but Griffith said it should arrive during the late summer or fall of this year. The bookmobile will be capable of carrying about 3,500 books, DVDs and other media, and computer terminals with internet access.
The bookmobile is just one element in Griffith's focus on expanding the reach of Lincoln Library's services so that the library is more integrated into the community, particularly among those populations that have not been taking advantage of the resources the library offers. Lincoln Library no longer operates branch libraries, so Griffith is committed to meeting residents where they are, without incurring the expense of brick-and-mortar branches.
The library has been offering "pop-up" events at sites managed by the Springfield Housing Authority, but the bookmobile offers a level of agility unachievable in any other way. "This vehicle will allow us to have a physical presence in all 10 wards of the city," she explains.
Griffith does not have a background in library science; instead, her training and experience are in communications and public relations. She sees this as an advantage. "My job as the director is to set the vision and move great ideas into action. We have a fantastic staff made up of librarians and non-librarians who work together for the public."
Griffith believes that defining a library's role in a community is a function of framing. If a library is seen as merely a collection of books and periodicals, then that library's role will be limited. "I see the library as integrated into the fabric of the community which supports it," she said. In her view, this means that a library should look for creative ways to address community needs. For instance, Griffith notes that only 22% of District 186 students read at grade level, and studies show that poor elementary-school-age readers are more likely to be unemployed or arrested as adults. Outreach programs allow the library to interact with more children and help them improve their reading skills.
One innovation that Griffith is proud of is the library's collection of nontraditional objects for borrowing. The Library of Things includes an air compressor, snow thrower, pressure washer, digital film scanner, podcasting kit and karaoke machine, among others. "These are items that may represent a significant investment for many households. With the Library of Things, patrons can 'try before they buy' and thus make a more informed decision about some major purchases. It's a huge benefit for the affected families."
Lincoln Library has also provided space to community organizations for evening programs. These events and groups include the Girl Scouts (who launched their annual cookie sales drive last week), yoga classes, the Amateur Writers Guild, and lectures. During the day there are book clubs for teens, mystery aficionados and fans of African American authors. The AARP is providing tax preparation services at the library, and the library has formed a Teen Advisory Group to provide input to staff about how they can do a better job of serving the community of young people. Griffith sees outreach to children and adolescents to be vital for Lincoln Library's continued success. "We know that children who are habitual users of the library become adults who support it later in life."
More information about Lincoln Library and its community-based programs can be found at https://www.lincolnlibrary.info/. The library is open seven days a week from October to April and Monday through Saturday otherwise. The library is closed Monday, Feb. 13, for Lincoln's birthday.
Don Howard is an intern at Illinois Times while completing his master's degree in Public Affairs Reporting at the University of Illinois Springfield. He can be reached at [email protected] or 336.455.6966.