Library Visit & Analysis [P.Elliot - 6010]

LIBRARY VISIT & ANALYSIS

Redwood Library & Athenaeum

Swansea Public Library

Patrick Elliot / LIS 6010

Why did I choose to compare these two institutions?

Public library

Funded primarily by the town of Swansea

Very small staff

Almost no uncirculated special collections

Member-based library

Funded primarily by private donors

Very large staff

Many rare, uncirculated special collections

Redwood Library & Athenaeum Swansea Public Library

Interviews & Location

Located in Swansea, Massachusetts

Interviewed Library Director, Cynthia St. Amour

The original stone structure sits adjacent to the town hall. It has seen one addition in the 70s, made to the back of the building. The entire space is very small, with computers and books crammed into every available space.

Located in Newport, Rhode Island

Interviewed Director of Library Systems, Lori Brostuen

The large historic building has seen two additions, and a residence across the street was donated when the roof needed renovation. That house now holds administrative offices and a children’s department.


History

Built in 1899 with money and land donated to the town by resident Elizabeth Stevens.

Stevens was the widower of a wealthy local businessman, and inherited his wealth.

Officially opened in 1900.

During its early years, it also operated as a make-shift town hall.

Eventually, Stevens donated funds to create a separate town hall, which is is situated adjacent to the library on the same donated land.

Founded in 1747 by 46 prominent Newport proprietors.

One of which, Abraham Redwood, donated the original collection of 751 books.

It is the state’s first library, and the oldest surviving lending library in continuous use in the United States.

In 1833, the Redwood was renamed “The Company of the Redwood Library and Athenaeum.”

This new name was meant to reflect the institutions increased focus on education and public discourse.


Interesting facts

Local funerals were also once held there, and a historic town cemetery sits in the back.

Elizabeth Stevens left in her will a nearby house for the library to rent out for profit.

Librarians have since acted as ad-hoc landlords, but hope to soon sell it off.

Occupied by British Officers during the Revolutionary War.

The war resulted in the loss of half the original collection.

After centuries of effort, roughly 90% of Redwood’s founding collection has been re-obtained.


Staff and Structure

Add your first bullet point here

Add your second bullet point here

Add your third bullet point here


Special / Archive Library Public Library

Private circulation, partially open to public Public circulation, completely open to public

Self-appointed Board of Directors (24) Publically-elected Board of Trustees (6)

27 staff members 6 staff members

7 staff members w/ library degrees 6 staff members w/ library degrees

20 volunteers 4 volunteers

Primary funding: Donations & Charitable Funds Primary funding: Town of Swansea

Secondary funding: Grants & Endowments Secondary funding: Friends of the Library

Lesser Funding: Membership Fees Lesser funding: Property Investments, Fees

Consortia / Cooperatives: ILL, Ocean State Libraries (OLIS)

Consortia / Cooperatives: ILL, SAILS Library Network

Departments

Reference

Circulation

Young Adult

Children’s Department

Reference (by-appointment)

Circulation

Children's Department

Young Adult

Archives & Special Collections

Art Gallery


Administrative Process

No Administrative Departments

Finance and Budget handled by Director

Board of Trustees present budget to Town Finance Committee

Budget revisions made by Director

Payroll handled by Town Finance Committee

Human Resources handled by Town Hall next door


Department Committees

Board of Directors

Redwood Staff Library

DirectorBoard of Trustees

Town Finance

Committee

Major decisions made by 13 committees, including:• Library Committee• Museum Committee• Program Committee• Special Projects Committee• Finance Committee• Audit Committee• Institutional Advancement Committee

Facilities and Services

Computer Lab

On-site tablet use

Free Wi-Fi

Overdrive digital media

Zinio digital magazines

Printed Newspapers / Magazines

Photocopying

Mobile Print Service

Reading Room

Meeting Room

Children’s Video Game Station

Reading Room

Exhibitions

Free Wi-Fi

3M eBooks

Naxos digital music library

Printed newspapers / magazines

No Computer Lab


Ongoing Clubs / Programs

Historical Society Meetings

Outreach Program (delivers material to homebound residents)

Family History Fundamentals (weekly genealogy program)

Children’s Story Time

Magic The Gathering Card Club

Anime / Video Game Club

Knitting Club

Gardening Club

Seasonal Events

“Life of the Mind Salon” Lecture Series

“Screen & Discuss” Film Series

Shakespeare Wednesdays

Book Club

Children’s Story Time

Seasonal Events

Daily tours ($5)


Clientele

Primary Clientele:

Residents of the town of Swansea

Secondary Clientele:

Residents of communities neighboring the small town

Primary Clientele

Subscribed members

Made up of local Newport residents and out-of-state seasonal residents

Can attend all programs and lecture series.

Secondary Clientele:

Local Newport residents, tourists

Free to browse the historic grounds

Can view the institution’s art exhibitions


Current Challenges

As a small public library operating in a tiny community, tax revenue from the town allows only for a modest budget.

Within these monetary limitations, the Swansea Public Library still offers more programs and services to more clientele than the Redwood, even with a smaller staff.

The library inhabits a very old building, and requires additional funding from the town finance committee for renovations.

To help, they asked residents to attend town hall meetings in support of the library. Support came out in droves.

The property Stevens left the library in her will is in disrepair. They are trying to sell it off to aid in funding the renovation.


The Redwood holds thousands of historic and rare books, with a collection focusing on material of cultural or artistic significance, both to the local region and beyond.

However, Redwood’s Collection Development Librarian, Robert Kelly, says convincing the Library Committee that certain books don’t fit the collection is painstaking, because board members on the committee have no background in libraries.

Because of this, he might weed out 200 books, but only propose 10 of them to the committee for consideration. Even with these efforts, weeding the massive collection remains the slow process.

Major Differences

As a public institution, the Swansea Public Library is answerable to the local community, town finance committee and an elected board of trustees.

This is reflected in their available facilities, material and programs.

The library lacks any significant special collections, other than genealogy and real estate records for the town.

Instead, the library focuses on providing community space and maintaining a relevant collection of books, music, and movies to offer its patrons.

As a private institution, the Redwood’s collection and member services reflect the combined vision of donors, staff and a self-appointed board of directors, rather than clientele.

The Redwood is also an Athenaeum, and it feels as much like a museum as it does a library.

The Redwood holds a treasure trove of rare and historical paintings, statues and books pertaining to art and literature.

This focus on special collections means a lesser focus on providing a wider range of circulated material available to patrons.


Employment Advice from Professionals

The Swansea Public Library is a very small, lean operation that provides community space and services to the local community.

Because of these characteristics, Director Cynthia St. Amour says she expects her employees to:

Be willing to where many different hats, figuratively speaking

Be active within the community

Work as an advocate for the library and the services it provides

Be willing to weed – everyone weeds!

Fulfil roles beyond what is listed in their job descriptions

The Redwood is a very large, bureaucratic operation with many staff members, committees and volunteers.

Because of this, Director of Library Systems, Lori Brostuen, says Redwood employees must:

Be able to fulfill a single, particular role with strength

Not need to be micro-managed by higher-ups

Have the ability to make decisions on their own

Work well as a single aspect of a larger team operation


What I’ve Learned

As someone who is most familiar with public libraries as a patron, I wanted to learn first-hand how a small staff with limited public funding maintains its collections, services and programs.

This completely public institution from a small community served as an excellent contrast to the private Redwood, as it highlights how less funding and staff can still produce a larger array of valuable community services.

This focus on services and community, however, means sacrificing an expansive amount of on-site material and any significant special collectiondevelopment.

Finally, I found digital services like 3M and Overdrive offered a flexible way for both institutions to supplement their on-site material for circulation, highlighting the wide application of technology in libraries of all kinds.

The Redwood describes its mission as balancing “the diverse needs and desires of the members with the historic charge of collecting and retaining materials of educational and lasting value.”

Due to this balancing act, Redwood is made up of a combination of information professionals and those with backgrounds in fine art and museums.

As a student interested in preservation and digital archiving, it was fascinating to see such a large collection and the process behind maintaining it.

However, the massive funding the Redwood receives highlights how money from private donors – many of which are on the board – influence decision-making. This means librarians there are less autonomous than they desire.


Education

Library Visit & Analysis [P.Elliot - 6010]