|
Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...
|
“The small room on the second floor of our Orr’s Island house did not have a single purpose. Bookcases lined one wall. Books on the floor shared the rest of the space with linens and other miscellaneous items. At age 6, I had other plans for this space. Over a period of months, the linens were put away and more bookshelves were added. Aided by my collection of picture and chapter books, that room became a library — with me as the librarian. When friends and family visited, I eagerly showed them my collection and encouraged them to check out books. As I came to learn later, some people are better at returning books than others, so I developed a system of fines. If you were late, you needed to give me a white or rose quartz rock.”
– Anne Wilkes
On a rainy morning, I spent a couple hours with Librarian Anne Wilkes at the Orr’s Island Library, watching her interact with patrons and getting insights into her leadership.
Daniel Hoebeke: You have been the librarian and director here for nearly four years. In the last two years, visits have increased by a remarkable 94% and book checkouts have gone up by 53%. What do you think has contributed to this exceptional growth?
Anne Wilkes: I think it is a combination of factors. Most important is that when people come into the library, they get to know the librarian personally. It does not take long to learn what individuals’ interests are. This makes it easier to recommend other authors that match their interests.
Besides that, the library offers more than just books. I frequently assist patrons with other needs, such as giving tech support for their cellphones and computers, filling out government forms, assisting with resumes, helping with research and providing notary public services. Eventually, word of mouth helps get the message across that the library is a great local resource. Right now, more than 90% of our family cardholders are local, many of whom had not been in the library for many years.
DH: The library already had a large book collection when you started. How did you approach it?
AW: (Laughs.) During my first couple of years, I literally went through every book to evaluate where our strengths and weaknesses were and what people were actually reading. We now have more than 11,000 books on site.
A primary emphasis is ensuring that we have the latest bestsellers and at least some niche titles across various genres. One major need was to upgrade our children and young adult sections. Now, 23% of our books are geared to that age group.
I am grateful to have an annual $7,200 new book budget, which is supplemented by donations from patrons. Our large book selection, coupled with a smaller local audience, means we seldom have a waiting list for popular titles.
DH: Many libraries are facing challenges today, both from inside and out. What are your thoughts on that?
AW: We need to think back to a library’s original purpose. Andrew Carnegie funded libraries to be a free and public resource, not a typical for-profit business. An unfortunate national trend is that many library boards have lost sight of this. The result is that they may forget that expansive library content is the hallmark of a free society. Successful libraries are those where the professionals entrusted with their care retain the freedom to perform their day-to-day functions with minimal interference.
A second challenge is the dramatic expansion of artificial intelligence. When used appropriately and carefully, there are exceptional benefits to its use. However, reliance on AI without checking for inaccuracies and the opportunities for misuse continue to be problematic. However it develops in the future, AI will never replace human knowledge and personal interaction.
DH: Is there a bright future for public libraries?
AW: Absolutely! The library is a community-supported resource unlike any other. Where else can you consistently meet in a safe, welcoming, totally free environment that does not sell data? Libraries play a critical role, alongside parents and teachers, in making sure that our next generation becomes well read and able to discern the difference between what is just noise and what contains value.
“Library Connections” is a monthly column that rotates among the three libraries that serve Harpswell: Cundy’s Harbor, Orr’s Island, and Curtis Memorial.
