Trends in HCPLC Budget and Use in the Post-Digitization Era

In my two years of working with HCPLC, the system has been pushing to promote their digital resources. A number of popular books, movies, and magazines can be instantly downloaded to various devices and transported all of the globe. Pretty sweet. I wanted to examine the impact these digital initiatives have had on the system and its community in recent years, if any.

The first graph works to illustrate the county tax dollars allocated to library services in the last five years. I know the budget is largely governed by the number of citizens using the services, but I wondered whether having to pay for new technologies--such as makerspaces--would have drawn a larger portion of funds to the industry. Unfortunately, I couldn't support a trend with the information I had available to me. The graph really shows no form of a pattern in county budget allocation--it may also depend on how much the county officials value the system. Who knows. 

The second graph charts the amount of fines and forfeit dollars collected annually by the system in the last five years. I was curious to know whether having one's books instantly return when the digital download was overdue would cut back on overdue and replacement costs. The graph doesn't support this notion, unfortunately.

Lastly, I drew data from the HCPLC website regarding patron activities. I felt as though the influx of individuals having personal devices would mean more digital downloads and fewer physical check outs. This conclusion proved true from the information. Additionally, the library has had more wi-fi connections and fewer physical computer logons in the last year. I understand this is only a small bit of data, however, and one can't draw any definite conclusions from the information.

In all, the graphs were not totally proportionate to my expectations. Just the same, it was interesting to see patterns in the industry charted and easily accessible.

Trends in HCPLC Budget and Use in the Post-Digitization Era Graphs

Tutorial on Placing Holds with HCPLC

One of the common library patron inquiries at the Hillsborough County Public Libraries is how to place a hold on an item in the catalog. I have created a handout that outlines the process for placing a request on materials in which the user already has an idea of what they are looking for. There are so many variables that effect the search process, so, for the sake of brevity, the search/request procedure outlined is for a basic keyword search.

How to Place a Request Using the HCPLC Wesbite

Children's Book Displays

     As with any organization, there are pros and cons to a library being governed by county or governmental

agencies. One of the downfalls is that there are a number of policies governing book displays and the like. I currently work at a small urban library where juvenile materials account for 30 percent of the circulated items. This, however, includes the numerous stacks of Spongebob DVDs that parents check out for their youngens daily. In order to bolster the number of books children grab from the shelves, I decided to create a display to call attention to "noteworthy" reads (which will be defined at a later point).

     Here are the issues with creating displays when you work for a county agency. We cannot have "signs", meaning flyers with text on them unless they are approved by administration. Essentially, we have to "show, not tell". Additionally, many managers are weary of having displays that look too handmade. We want to maintain the look of the library, but also draw patrons to our printed collection. Also, we are not allowed to tape or pin materials to the wall. Not too many obstacles, but enough to force one to think creatively.

   
  We have, so far, done a display for MLK day, Valentine's Day, and Dr. Seuss's Birthday. I must say the Dr.Seuss board has been, so far, the most successful. It's hard to tell, however, if this is because Seussical tales sell themselves or because people are entranced by the pink pom pom trufulla trees. I'll continue to track the circulation success with the boards---or even record the feedback received about them.

Has anyone done anything similar to bring attention to bits of their collection? Please feel free to share in the comment section!