To Dunham Library Patrons, Staff, Friends and Trustees:

The following unsolicited email was received by the Library Board and the Library Director this morning (August 4) in response to the article in that day's Utica Observer-Dispatch. Linda has very thoughtfully articulated the sea of change, which is libraries and librarianship in the second decade of the 21st century. With her permission, we publish it here.

Kindest regards,
Judy Jerome
Library Director

From: "Linda Allen" < This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it >
Sent: 8/4/2010 10:59:34 AM
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Subject: Library support

Dear Members of the Board of Trustees and Staff of the Dunham Library:
 
I am writing in response to the story in today’s O-D about the meeting today and the upcoming vote. As a resident of the Town of Marcy (Utica mailing address) and the Whitesboro School District, I am a voter on the Dunham Library Budget. I am a lifelong patron and enthusiastic supporter of libraries. During the winter months, I am also a volunteer at the Sedona, Arizona, library. While I know only what was reported in the paper, I fully support the proposal that donated books are the property of the library and that the library pursue the online sale of books. The library board has a responsibility to maintain as good a collection as possible and using donated items as additions to the collection where appropriate is a reasonable way to do this. The board also has a fiduciary responsibility to insure that all avenues of fundraising are pursued and that the best price possible be obtained for those items sold. On-line sales are a proven way to accomplish this and are an avenue that many, many libraries are undertaking with good results. 
 
The Sedona Library has a very large group of volunteers who supplement the functions of the library staff such as circulation, and also a Friends of the Library group who run the book sales. The library has in place policies and procedures established by the professional staff for the review and disposition of donated items. The first level of review is to determine if the donated item is appropriate for the collection. Next is a review to determine the market appeal via internet sale with the Friends receiving those items not otherwise distributed. A small group of volunteers under the auspices of the Friends run the internet sales so the library receives the full amount of the sales. However, the Sedona Library is unique in the number, technical expertise and dedication of the volunteers. This is just not available in many library “Friends” groups and so the use of a third party to run the internet sales is perfectly acceptable.  
 
I can appreciate what seems to be the hurt feelings of some of the Friends members. Change is always difficult. But the library has an overarching responsibility to the community and to the taxpayers to maintain and enhance the collection and the operation of the library in the most cost efficient manner possible.  If a donated book can be put on the shelf, then the collection is enhanced, patrons benefit and the cost of purchasing that book is saved. If a book can be sold online for more than what the book sale might bring, then it should be sold online. If the Sedona Library is an example, there will still be many, many books available for sale by the Friends. And if the Friends has the capacity to manage the online sales, perhaps they could do that. Times change, needs change and libraries are too important to their communities not to also change. There will always be a significant place at the table for Library Friends groups, but they also need to recognize these changes and be part of the solution to the challenges libraries face today. 
 
Good luck,
Linda Allen