833 Summers Service Proposal

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Service Proposal

Commuter Libraries: Making Library Materials and

Services More Accessible to the Working Poor

Betsy Summers

Emporia State University

Spring 2012


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Service Proposal: Commuter Libraries

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"More than any other rich society in the world, the

United States treats its poor with ambivalencecreating legal,

social, and economic systems that operate to make the poor

invisible to all of us who are not poor" (Holt & Holt, 2010, p. 14).


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Abstract

This paper offers the vision of a new public library service implemented to help

meet the needs, accessibility, and convenience of an exploding population in

this country: the working poor. Commuter Libraries are very popular in a

number of countries throughout the world. Studies from various organizations

and authors are used to provide evidence to support the idea of a Commuter

Library in Portland, as one of the best ways a public library can serve the working

poor population.


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Introduction

The working poor are an exploding population in America. Defined by

Gary Rivlin, author of Broke U.S.A. (2010), as a huge constituent of 40 million

Americans who make less than $30,000 a year. Rivlin states that most "earn too

much to qualify for government entitlements but earn so little there's no hope

they'll ever save much money" (O'Neill, 2011, p. 72). Since the beginning of the

Great Recession, the number of working poor has shot up to 46.2 million and

continues to climb. Though these numbers are somewhat tricky to pin down

because the working poor are not necessarily in "poverty" as defined by the

government. According to Metzgar (2010) "the poor are, in fact, part of the

working class, and poverty, near-poverty, and the fear of poverty are an

endemic part of working-class life" (p. 401).

The Working Poor

The working poor work harder for less than anyone else in our society;

however, making ends meet is a daily battle, and is not always won. Dodson

(2010) finds that sometimes the working poor"cannot afford the basicsthe

transportation, rent, groceries, fueland most damaging of all, they cannot

keep their children healthy and protected" (p. 26).

The problem lies in basic math. A person in Oregon working full-time and

making the state's minimum wage of $8.80/hr.actually $1.55/hr. higher than

the federal minimum wage of $7.25/hr.could potentially earn as much as

$352/week, $1,408/month, and $16,896/year, before taxes, and that assumes


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they were able to work every business day of the year. Using the federal

minimum wage, the numbers are worse. A full-time worker would only make

$13,920/year, before taxes. "The 2009 poverty threshold for a single person is

$10,956, and it's just $21,954 for a family of four," state Arron and Perri (2011).

The numbers indicating poverty are also somewhat muddled. Shipler

(2004) writes in his bookThe Working Poor, that the federal poverty line is archaic

in that the formula was created using 1955 spending patterns. "The family used

about one-third of its income [in 1955] for food. It is no longer valid today, when

the average family spends only about one-sixth of its budget for food, but the

government continues to multiply the cost of the "thrifty food basket" by three,

adjusting for inflation only and overlooking nearly half a century of dramatically

changing lifestyles" (p. 9). By this formula, our government is continually unable

to precisely calculateor provide forthe nation's poor. In 2010, Oregon

reported having nearly 600,000 residents in poverty, over 15 percent of its

population, an increase of nearly 120,000 since the beginning of the Great

Recession (OCPP Fact Sheet, 2011). According to the U.S. Census Bureau

American Fact Finder website, there are 298,398 total number of households in

Multnomah County. Of those, 74,231 or 24.8 percent are living on less than

$24,999/year (2010).

For working families hovering near poverty, just one small, seemingly

inconsequential hiccup in an otherwise hectic schedule, can throw them into

utter chaos. Perhaps stated best by Metzgar (2010) in the following paragraph:


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A sick kid, your car breaking down, or your babysitter getting stuck in

traffic are not trivial matters if youre making $35,000 a year or less

especially when they occur in combination, they can challenge your

ability to survive, test your resolve, and undermine your spirit no matter

how sober and churchgoing you are. Insufficient and unsteady income

makes all lifes regular difficulties much more difficult, as they reverberate

more broadly and deeply in the rest of ones life. (p. 404)

Cause and Effect

Making ends meet is a continuous, never-ending daily struggle for working

poor families. Low wages are only part of the problem in a society that is rigged

against them. Take hidden bank fees versus payday lenders. Both are designed

to punish those earning less money. The Pew Health Group's Safe Banking

Opportunities Project found that "Banks have long struggled to serve low-income

consumers, who tend to rely more on alternative financial services providers like

check cashers and payday lenders. Those companies have been criticized for

charging high fees, but their prices are often more transparent to consumers

than the ATM fees and overdraft penalties that banks impose" (Finkle, 2011, p.1).

O'Neill (2011) also points out that working people who used payday services and

were "charged high fees for short term loans were happy with the arrangement

because they received money quickly and viewed it as cheaper than a

bounced check" (p. 72).

The same can be said about taxes. The inequity of balancing a state or


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federal budget on the backs of the working poor has become commonplace.

The one saving grace, the Earned Income Tax Credit, which allowed low-

income earners to receive a yearly rebate, is already being phased out in many

states due to budget gaps. The Child Tax credit is also being cut. According to

a New York Times editorial, "The refundable portion of the child tax credit is a life-

saver for the working poor. Families that would be cut off by this policy change

make an average of $21,000 per year, according to the Treasury Department.

They would lose an average of $1,800" (1/31/2012).

That $1,800 is a fortune for working families. Just affording basic health

care for a working family is a nightmare. "Employer-plan premiums are also

slanted against the working poor. According to December 2011 data from the

Bureau of Labor Statistics, those in the lowest quartile of workers in private

industry (earning $10.69 per hour or less) are forking over 6% more money for

health coverage than higher-paid workers" (Miller, 2011, p. 5). When you add in

other expenses like childcare, food, and clothing, you can quickly see how, as

Shipler (2004) indicates, "They spend everything and save nothing" (p. 4).

Reading Is Fundamental

While part of the working poor's problem does stems from low wages, an

equal part stems from their own life choices, including education level.

According to a Working Poor Families Project policy brief conducted this past

winter, "three in 10 low-income working families had at least one parent without

a high school diploma. In more than half of low-income working families, no


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parent had any education beyond high school, putting them at a severe

disadvantage in terms of job security, earnings, and potential economic

mobility" (p. 3). So if there were one way to break out of the unending cycle of

remaining one of the working poor, studies show that education can make a

difference.

Education and reading are both keys in helping folks climb out of poverty

and break the cycle passed on from one generation to the next. Libraries can

make a huge difference in the world of working poor families, especially for the

children. A recent study published in the New England Reading Association

states "evidence suggest[s] that increasing access to books can not only help

students enormouslyit can even mitigate the effects of poverty on school

achievement and literacy development" (Krashen, 2011, p. 18). However,

studies have also shown that all things are not equal. In the Krashen (2011)

article, children growing up in low-income areas do not have the same

opportunities as affluent children. "Children of poverty have very little access to

books at home and in their communities, with less access to good public libraries

and bookstores" and they "attend schools with poorly supported classroom

libraries and school libraries" (Krashen, 2011, p. 17).

For more evidence, according to a recent Reading Is Fundamental study

done in 2010, "When children have more access to books and other print

material, they develop more positive attitudes toward reading and learning.

This finding appears to hold for interventions that allow children to borrow books


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to read and interventions that give books to children to own" (p. 46). The study

also indicates "One possible remedy to the socioeconomic gaps in academic

achievement is to make sure that children of low-income families have access

to high-quality, age-appropriate books. Having books can facilitate children's

reading and shared reading between children and their caregivers" (p. 3). It is

clear that having access to books is an important key to reaching higher

academic achievement, landing better jobs that earn more income, and

creating a potential break the vicious cycle of poverty. Making access to

libraries easy and convenient can be a simple solution for the working poor.

Current Library Services

The Multnomah County Libraries (MCL) understands the mission of offering

services to the working poor. Included on their website are a wonderful array of

useful links; everything from earning your GED, to improving your typing skills, to

help for job seekers, and money management. For those in housing transitions,

MCL donates reading materials and videos, sends out request forms for specific

items of interest, such as parenting, GED information, or general fiction, and

helps to serve those with l iteracy needs.

The only problem with MCL services is not the lack of them, but more the

access to them. Time, it turns out, is a major issue with working families.

According to Roy, Tubbs, and Burton (2004), "Consistent daily movement

between the workplace and household leads to expectable family rhythms"

(p. 168), only for the working poor, those rhythms can be unpredictable. "Low-


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income families who do not have access to consistent resources to gain control

of time appear to be unadjusted to the 9-to-5 public timetable" (Roy, et al, p.

169). Because of time constraints and ability to find the time to physically

access the library within harried schedules, many working poor may be unable

to visit the library. "Part of the difficulty of reaching lower-income families is

getting them to the library" (p. 327) according to Haller and Hayes in the article

by Auld (2005). Stated so well by Holt and Holt (2010) "Living poor means a

scarcity of time. Working one job is hard enough. Working two or three is

grinding. Add to that the complications of finding and keeping dependable

child care or helping out sick family members without any financial reserves to

meet such crises" (p. 54).

Proposed Solution

With time being a major factor in why the working poor underuse the

library, the idea is to try and minimize the time factor. By creating aCommuter

Librarywe in fact make library services easily accessible, and consistently

available on the very timetable that works for the working poor: during their

travels to and from work. Popular in countries such as Chile, the Netherlands,

Germany, and Brazil, metro libraries are a way to satisfy the reading needs of

daily commuters, low income and affluent alike. TriMet is Portland's public mass

transit agency, and according to a recent user study, has indicated that a

majority of frequent riders use its services to get to work (Customer Profile, 2010).

Partnering with TriMet is the logical first step for MCL, because according to Holt
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and Holt (2010) "Partnerships are successful when each partner gains more by

working with another than by working alone" (p. 124). Having library services

available to commuters is indeed a win-win proposition, especially in Multnomah

County where its library is such a popular place (Varvel, 2011). Currently, there

areseventransportation hubs located throughout Multnomah County, a place

where buses and light rail converge to allow travelers to make connections in

their commute. MCL would start by creating two Commuter Library branches at

two of TriMet's busier hubs, and expand locations as needed, or as patron

demand indicated.

More than popular gimmick, Commuter Libraries would help the working

poor by making access to the library simple and convenient. The Commuter

Library would give famiies the chance to stop by the library on the way to or

from work as well as allowing them access to computer services they might not

otherwise have at home. A mother might be able to take home books to read

to their children that they would otherwise not have the chance to pick up. A

father may pick up a magazine and read an article that nudges his imagination.

A teen might suddenly be aware of the time to begin work on their GED or look

for classes to enroll in at the local community college. Time once wasted

between bus connections or waiting on the next MAX train could become a

productive way to better oneself and one's family.

Available Services

Not only will commutersfrom all walks of lifebe able to browse the
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latest magazines, or the newest bestseller, patrons will also have opportunity to

logon to the Internet. Each Commuter Library will have secure Wi-Fi and be set

up with a number of computers available for travelers. Having free access to

computers is especially meaningful in this economy, especially for the working

poor, many who cannot afford Internet services. According to Barnardi (2005)

"Our adult and teenage patrons depend on our computers to do online job

searches, apply for jobs online, and prepare resumes" (p. 322).

Each Commuter Library will employ one full-time librarianwho will serve

as the branch managerand three other part-time staffers. All staff will be

trained in answering social services questions. As stated by Holt and Holt (2010)

"at least some public library staff in institution both large and small are going to

have to master the complex and sometimes arcane content of poverty

programs at the federal, state, and local levels" (p. 72). The needs of low-

income families are specifically information oriented. Barnardi (2005) states, "For

example, they might want information about food stamps, unemployment

insurance, entitlement programs, or health care. Obviously, we cannot give

them all the information they need, and we have to refer them to appropriate

agencies" (p. 322). It will be the primary goal of each Commuter Library to meet

the needs of the working poor patron.

As far as the actual building that the Commuter Library would be housed

in, many of the TriMet transit hubs already have small brick building onsite

either for mechanical purposes or offices. The buildings would be the perfect


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size for housing a Commuter Library. Always centrally located, they represent

ideal placement for the convenience of the traveler to come in for a brief visit

while waiting for their next connection. If these buildings were available, the

cost in developing the Commuter Library would decrease substantially. If TriMet

were in fact purposefully using them, then a new building would have to be

designed and created. This could be expensive, but would also allow for the

creation of an amazing, architecturally interesting space. Grants could possibly

be obtained through the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS).

According to Holt and Holt (2010), "Money to plan and give partnerships often is

available through IMLS and grants are passed through from the federal level by

state libraries" (p. 130).

Materials within each library would be limited with space at a premium.

Popular magazines, newspapers, and bestselling books would be available for

checkout. Multiple copies of each format would be on hand. Patrons would

require a library card from MCL for checkout, but loan times would be extended

to one month. Fines and fees would be the same, with the exception that all

Commuter Library staff would have the authority to wave them on an as-

needed basis. Another partnership with Powell's Bookstore could create an

area for free items. During their visit to the Commuter Library, patrons would

have the opportunity to pick out a book or old magazine to take home with

them to keep.

Programming would be an important aspect of the Commuter Library.


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According to Mistry and Wadsworth (2011), "Helping poor families connect with

existing resources and with each other constitute important sources of support

and resiliency for families" (p. 14). The Commuter Library would have current

information available to help those working poor in need, including resources to

available social services in the city, as well as access to local support groups.

The Commuter Library would form another partnership with Portland State

University's Community Counseling Clinic to hold drop-in, one-to-one sessions

with volunteer counselors throughout the week, free of charge.

Evaluation

Maureen O'Connor, Director of Library Services for the Queens Borough

Public Library in New York City says this about equitable services:

The myth in public library service is that we provide equitable service to all

our customers. While we attempt to provide the same service, all of our

customers don't receive the same service. The variables at work in

people's lives create barriers between our potential to serve and the

ability of customers to access what we have to offer: hours of service,

language, mobility, education, history of library use, access to

technology, and level of technological literacy are a few. (Auld, 2005, p.

323)

The idea of the Commuter Library is to make access to the library's services

easier for the working poor who may otherwise not have the time or

transportation necessary to visit one of MCL's traditional branch libraries. By


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offering reading materials and computer access to commuters by placing a

library at TriMet hub locations, library services instantly become more equitable

as barriers to access fall away.

The ultimate evaluation of success of the Commuter Library begins by

taking quantitative measuresthe actual number of patrons walking through

the door, as well as circulation numbers. Also, to get successful read on the

impact the library is having in the community, qualitative measures such as

informal interviews or online surveys, should be conducted. By using a

triangulation of both the quantitative and qualitative research methods, we

should arrive at a valid evaluation of services. As stated by Holt and Holt (2010),

"The idea behind outcome evaluation and other qualitative techniques is that it

is important to understand the user experience when considering the success or

failure of the library or an individual library program" (p. 136-137).

However, Holt and Holt (2010) also caution us in saying "As with many

target audience groups, it can be difficult to identify the poor who use libraries

informally, let alone to understand the effects of the library on the poor" (p. 132).

Understanding the impact of library services to the working poor may ultimately

be difficult to evaluate. According to Sharon Smith, Branch Manager at the

Indianapolis-Marion County Public Libraries, "One of the biggest challenges for

libraries serving the low-income population is how to justify how we spend our

resources using the existing tools of evaluation. In these settings, you cannot

measure success by how many books were checked out or how many patrons


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attended programs. You measure success in other ways" (Auld, 2005, p. 325).

Talking with partners, interviewing Commuter Library patrons, and establishing

relationships with those you are serving, are the "other ways" we hope to

evaluate the success of the library.

Conclusion

Authors Roberts, Povich, and Mather (2011) state, "The entire nation has

an important stake in ensuring that all working families succeed, and that public

investments are used to increase the success of low-income working families" (p.

6). Creating a library geared to make access to reading materials and

computer use as easy and as untime-consuming as possible, the Commuter

Library offers a unique chance for the working poor to take advantage of an

otherwise time-consuming service. The Great Recession has affected millions

with economic insecurity; and the invisible working poor are struggling that

much harder. The Commuter Library offers a convenient place of hope and is

society's way of saying "I see you."


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References

211info.org, (2012). http://211info.org/community-resource-database

Arron, K., & Perri, L. (2011). What went wrong: Betrayal of the American dream.

http://americawhatwentwrong.org/story/working-poor/

Auld, H. (2005). Library services in low-income urban communities. Public

Libraries, 44(6), 320-328.

Barnardi, J. (2005). The poor and the public library. Public Libraries, 44(6).

Commuter Library (2012). Retrieved from

http://www.wix.com/betsyssummers/commuterlibrary

Dodson, L. (2010). The work-around: How some supervisors of low-wage workers

break the rules to make an unfair system a little bit fairer. American

Prospect, 21(1). 26-28.

Editorial: A harder squeeze on the poor. New York Times, 1/31/2012

Finkle, V. (2011). Hidden fees drive the poor from banks. American Banker,

176(162).

Holt, L. E., & Holt, G. E. (2010). Public library services for the working poor: Doing

all we can. American Library Association, Chicago.

Institute of Museum and Library Services. (2012). Grant applications: Available

grants. http://www.imls.gov/applicants/project.aspx

Krashen, S. (2011). Protecting students against the effects of poverty: Libraries.

The NERA Journal, 46(2).


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Metzgar, J. (2010). Are "the poor" part of the working class or in a class by

themselves? Labor Studies Journal, 35(3), 398-416.

Mistry, R. S., & Wadsworth, M. E. (2011). Family functioning and child

development in the context of poverty. The Prevention Researcher, 18(4),

11-15

Miller, J. (2011). Working poor might find their costs unaffordable. Managed

Healthcare Executive, March.

Oregon Center for Public Policy Fact sheet. (2011). A graphic view of poverty.

Retrieved from http://www.ocpp.org/2011/11/09/fs20111109graphic-view-

poverty-oregon/

O'Neill, B. (2011). Book Review: Broke, USA: From pawnshops to poverty, Inc.

How the working poor became big business. Journal of Financial

Counseling and Planning, 22(1), 71-75.

Portland State University Community Counseling Clinic. (2012). Retrieved from

http://pdx.edu/coun/clinic

Reading Is Fundamental. (2010). Children's access to print material and

education-related outcomes. Literature Review, August.

Roberts, B., Povich, D., & Mather, M. (2011). Overlooked and underpaid:

number of low-income working families increases to 10.2 million. The

Working Poor Families Project, Policy Brief, (Winter 2011-2012), 1-8.

Shipler, D. K. (2004). The working poor: Invisible in America. Alfred A.

Knopf, New York.


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TriMet. (2011). 2010 customer profile. Retrieved from

http://trimet.org/pdfs/publications/customer_profile.pdf

TriMet Hubs Map (2012). Retrieved from

http://www.zeemaps.com/map?group=330669

U. S. Census Bureau. (2010). American fact finder: Selected economic

characteristics. Multnomah County. Retrieved from

http://factfinder2.census.gov/faces/tableservices/jsf/pages/productview.

xhtml?pid=ACS_10_5YR_DP03

U. S. Department of Labor. (2011). A profile of the working poor, 2009. U.S.

Bureau of Labor Statistics, Report 1027, 1-14.

Varvel, V. E., Jr. (2011). The public library data service 2011 statistical report:

characteristics and trend. Public Libraries, 50(5).

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833 Summers Service Proposal