DeWitt Community Library Archives Blog

Our ties with the J-D school district

2009-11-20T10:01:00.001-05:00

We've posted a couple times about our library as a Free Association library. In our most recent post, we mentioned that in the eighties the Board re-thought this plan, and recently we found some Board minutes from 1984 that show the beginnings of a campaign to make the DeWitt Community Library a school district library for the Jamesville-DeWitt schools. Basically, this would mean that our funding would come from referendum on the J-D school ballot once a year rather than leaving us free to go to taxpayers in our chartered area throughout the fiscal year. Each method has its pros and cons, and in '84 the Board made an unsuccessful push to try the school district method.

The DeWitt Library Board of Trustees circulated a fact sheet stating the reasons for the J-D school district to fund us in the amount of $7,500. The attached a chart of local support for libraries that listed Onondaga County suburban libraries' funding sources, the majority of which got some or all of their funding from their school districts. DeWitt Library was an exception, receiving $104,ooo in 1982 and $115,000 in 1983, entirely supplied by the Town of DeWitt. Some of the reasons for urging J-D school district voters' support were: "The Library is specifically chartered to serve the residents within the Jamesville-DeWitt School District; The Library is open four school evenings a week. . . . This approximates over 30 hours a week of public library time available to students when their school libraries are closed; Special collections to supplement school assignments are always available to students and teachers upon request;" and "Of the twenty member public libraries in the Onondaga County Public Library System, only four do not receive local support from their respective school districts (Dewitt, LaFayette, Marcellus and Solvay). Liverpool and Baldwinsville receive total support from their school districts. Neighboring libraries . . . . receive between 12% and 78% of their total support from their respective school districts."

In addition to the fact sheet, the Library sought to include Proposition #2 on the school district ballot, which stated "Shall the Board of Education of the Jamesville-DeWitt Central School District levy and collect a tax in the amount of $7,500 for the support of the DeWitt Community Library, pursuant to Section 259 of the Education Law?" Then, in the November 27 Board meeting minutes, under New Business, they state:

"Presentation to the School Board

"Don Ely has been notified that DCL will be on the school board agenda for 9:00, December 10. He will give Dr. Ambrosie a fact sheet and a copy of the page "Local Support" from the OCPL Annual Report to be sent out with the agenda to school board members. For the next week, Janet and the library staff will monitor how many school children are using our library facilities.

"Don expects our presentation to be brief and based on an appeal from one board to another, each of which is aware of the other's problems. He does not expect the school board to make a specific commitment but is sure they will ask for an indication of the amount of support we expect from them. All board members should attend this important meeting."

The DeWitt Community Library did not, of course, become a school district library, but remained a fully town-funded operation until this year. Starting in 2010, the Town of DeWitt will no longer fund the Library through grant money, but instead we will be fully funded by J-D School District taxpayers. J-D has always acted as our tax collector, but now residents of that district will also be able to vote on any budget increases we may propose in the future.

Click on the thumbnails below to see full-sized versions of the fact sheets related to Proposition #2.

Free Association pt. 2

2009-10-20T12:04:00.003-04:00

A little while back, we posted an article about the library's decision to be Free Association rather than School District or Town Supported. I recently came across more evidence from a Board meeting about 20 years after the library was formed, in which they reconsidered this question. Here is part of the discussion from the September 20, 1983 meeting:

"Mrs. Schmuckler presented some thought provoking ideas for the future of the Library.

"1. Where the money is coming from
"2. Leadership and people to move us along to get the money
"3. Becoming a School District Library
"4. Expanding the Board to 14-16 people
"5. Look for people who have different connections
"6. Additional members to come from other organizations or groups to reach more people
"8. To form a committee to investigate procedures to become a School District Library
"Reopen and investigate our School District Budget"

These are some of the ongoing problems the Board was facing in the eighties, as many of the Board reports mention that money and materials were tight, and members of the organization worried about how to make the library more secure and investigate areas to obtain more funding. I didn't find anything else in the reports for that year, and the library has remained a Free Association library, but in the next post, I will explore further how money was secured in Prop #2 on the J-D ballot.

Beware: spooky substance!

2009-10-20T11:25:00.000-04:00

Since we're approaching Halloween, I thought I'd do a fun post about a very mysterious circumstance that occurred in the mid-eighties. It was only talked about in two consecutive board meetings, and then never brought up again. Spooky!

May 17, 1983 --

"A week ago Friday, TJ's sent a black sulphurous substance to the library offices via a drain pipe that was being cleaned by Cross-Kinney Plumbing. The plumber stated this was an unsanitary condition. The county health department has a second report on record against TJ's."

June 21, 1983 --

"Continued problems with TJ's. The black 'sulphurous' substance continues to back up into the Library offices. Mr. Jack Orr of the Health Department has been notified for the third time, as yet no assistance."

No further mention was made of the mysterious substance, nor what TJ's was doing sending it via the drain pipe, but one thing is certain: precisely 23 and a half years later, the library moved to a completely different location in the mall. Coincidence? You decide.

Collection Development

2009-09-21T12:16:00.001-04:00

Over the years, our collection at the DeWitt Community Library has certainly grown and changed, as have the needs of our patrons. From the date we opened our doors in 1962 until probably the mid-eighties, the focus of libraries was on research and reference services, as well as bestselling titles and newspapers. We had a collection of vinyl albums, newspaper archives on microfilm, and quite an extensive Reference collection. Your Librarian was the gateway to information if you had to write a report, research current events in the newspaper, make a family tree, or you wanted the latest book by your favorite author. The Reference Desk was most likely your first stop as you entered the library.

Things have certainly changed over the decades, and especially in the last 15 years, as the world has become much more fast-paced and technology oriented. Instead of vinyl, we have a CD collection -- but we have gone beyond that, as well. We now circulate DVDs and Blu-Rays, video games, and the library offers downloadable audiobooks that you can save on your iPod or MP3 player. As the world becomes more virtual, we still offer newspaper archives but now it's through a database subscription, along with genealogy research databases and encyclopedias for children and adults. The addition of so many online subscription materials has allowed us to order fewer costly Reference books in print, which also frees up shelf space for expanding our collection in more popular areas. Another big difference in the past couple years is that we are moving beyond strict Dewey Decimal order in our Adult Non-Fiction stacks; we now shelve our books by category first and then by Dewey number, making our shelving system much more browsing-friendly, like it is at your local bookstore. Your Librarian is still a helpful reference and a good starting point, but you can also help yourself more easily when you come into the library, or when you check out our website from home.

Click on the pictures below for full-size versions.

Deliver me from OCPL

2009-08-21T10:42:00.000-04:00

As you may or may not know, the Skaneateles Library has very recently become an official member of the Onondaga County Public Library System! They are applying for their charter to become an official New York State Public Library, and in preparation for that application process, they negotiated with OCPL to become a member of our organization. This means they make the 32nd library to join our county-wide system.

Lately, the DeWitt Community Library has become the second busiest library in the county, and you can see evidence of this just by looking at how much we receive and send in our daily library delivery. Have you ever placed a reserve on an item and wondered just exactly how that item makes its way from its home library into your hands? Well, every morning libraries print out a daily holds list that tells us titles and shelf locations for items that have been placed on hold by patrons all over the county. We go to the shelves and pull these items, then check them in and print out a slip that lets us know where to send them. We sort the items into various bins and bags based on their ultimate destination. Then all items are picked up by a delivery van which carries them to Central Library to be sorted. Once the items are sorted and tagged for individual libraries, they are picked up by that same delivery van and carried to their respective libraries. This is the reason why items can sometimes take a week or more between "Shipped" status and "Held" status, so be patient! These days, we are working overtime to fulfill all your wildest book dreams!

As you can see from the photos below, our delivery has definitely increased. The first picture is of a delivery man bringing us a few bags back in the 1980s. Fast forward to 2009, and you will see that the amount of delivery we receive and put out takes the delivery van driver two or three trips to complete on average! There are also photos of the very first delivery slip we printed for Skaneateles Library. So now you know the story of the OCPL delivery system.

Click on the photos for full-size versions.

Dear Volunteers

2009-05-13T12:20:00.000-04:00

April was National Volunteer Month, but I just woke up from hibernation, so this post is a few weeks late!

The DeWitt Community Library has a history of working with volunteers that goes back long before our official grand opening in 1962. Men and women who felt passionate about the need for a library in DeWitt spent two decades researching, organizing, and finally unveiling the DeWitt Community Library Association and library space. Our Board of Trustees is, of course, a volunteer organization, as is our Friends group; volunteers from the community and the Boy and Girl Scouts helped put books on the shelves in 1962, and later helped move the library a couple times; and to this day, we employ a strong and dedicated corps of volunteers that help us with shelving and various other library tasks.

In one of the first Board meeting reports in 1962, the Volunteers' Committee noted that:

"Well over 1,000 hours have been given by women of the community, Girl Scouts, Boy Scouts, and high school groups during the period of October, 1961 - May 31, 1962.

"From October through March, volunteers collected books on a Book Drive and assisted in sorting, stamping, typing, pasting, and generally preparing books for shelves.

"Since opening day, April 9, 1962, volunteers have assisted the librarian by opening the library week-day afternoons and Saturday mornings; handling charge-outs, book returns, issuance of borrowers' cards, and, whenever possible, continuing preparation of new books for shelves.

"At present time, 38 women, working in teams of two, are active volunteers. The Board of Trustees is deeply grateful for the deep loyalty, personal responsibility, and untiring efforts of each one of them."

For several years, Jean Hutton was the Volunteer Committee chairperson, and oversaw "Our excellent group of volunteers, or Library Guild, as it is called." Jean herself continued to volunteer her time to the DeWitt Library well into the 1990s. As she points out in her 1963 Committee Report, "[Volunteers] have made the DeWitt Library possible!" By 1967, Director Kay Kinney was praising the efforts of 3 groups of volunteers: Boy Scouts, who shelved and moved books; Girl Scouts, who helped with story hours and taking books to New York State Manor; and adult volunteers, who worked at the desk and also helped promote the library through outreach projects.

The Librarian's Report for 1972 is particularly full of praise for the volunteers: "At least 120 people were involved as volunteers in the project [to move the library]." As you may have noticed, the only thing the DCL is fonder of than good volunteers is packing up and moving!

In recent years, we have had the help of many teenagers from the Jamesville-DeWitt school district who need to complete community service as a graduation requirement. In addition, in the last year we have begun to rebuild our volunteer corps with almost 20 adults who applied with us and have given many hours of their time to shelving, shelf reading, and organizing your DeWitt Community Library.

Please click on the images below to see excerpts of Volunteer Committee Reports.

Be a part of history!

2009-03-25T12:07:00.000-04:00

Do you enjoy our Archives Blog? Wish you could contribute to our collection and knowledge of DCL or DeWitt history? Now's your chance! Share your history with us this spring. The DeWitt Community Library, in partnership with the DeWitt Preservation & Historical Society and the Cultural Resources Council, is hosting an Oral History Project!

In addition, the library is seeking photographs and memorabilia related to our town's history. Participants of this project are encouraged to "jog" their memories by looking at these artifacts, and have their memories recorded for inclusion in our archives.

If you've got memorabilia to donate or photograph, or pictures you will allow us to copy for our files, please bring them in to the DeWitt Community Library any time between now and May 9. We will return all originals, unless you would like to donate them. If you have questions, please contact the library at 315-446-3578. You can also view the details and sign up to participate in the oral history by clicking here.

The Association Must Be Free

2009-03-11T15:26:00.000-04:00

You may know that the DeWitt Community Library is a Free Association Library, but perhaps you don't know just what that means or how it was established. The DCL opened officially in April 1962, but discussions about the need for a library in DeWitt began almost two decades before that date. There was a DeWitt Community Association well established, which was a non-profit organization serving the town in various volunteer capacities; this Community Association had a separate library committee, and in the early sixties Jack Robertson -- Chair of the Library Committee -- and this group spent time gathering information from the community and gauging the level of enthusiasm for a public library.

Once they were decided on having a library, the committee then had to determine what type of library would best suit the DeWitt area. There were three possible types of we could become: 1. Town Supported, which meant the library would have to bring their budget proposals to the Town Board each July for funding; 2. School District Library, meaning the library association must gather support from the school district voters to be established; or 3. Free Association Library, which is a library that is not tied to a government group or school district, and is free to approach the members in its chartered area any time of the year for fund raising.

The library committee decided to become a Free Association, which it remains to this day. This decision has its difficulties, as the burden remains on the Association to continue fund raising if it wants to remain in business. In the minutes of the Executive Committee of the DeWitt Community Association a few years before the library opened, they explain their reasoning for this decision as follows: ". . . if we decide on a school district basis, we must 'sell' a library to enough voters that it can be passed as a separate item in the school budget at the annual meeting in July. If we decide on a free association we can gather community support at any time. . . . Since everyone is loathe to add to an already heavy school tax burden this form of support was presently rejected. Jamesville and Southwood have never displayed much interest in a library located in the center of Dewitt for geographic reasons. Since the Town Board appropriates $200 annually for support of the East Syracuse library we might be able to expect a like amount for Dewitt, but possibly not more. Therefore it was generally agreed among those present that a free association was the best and perhaps only way to start a library for Dewitt."

Once they'd decided to be a free association, the problem was how to set up a regular source of funding. They did manage to raise enough money initially to keep the library open for 3 years, which exceeded their goal, but it was necessary to establish solid methods of support money for the future of the library. The original Board of Trustees was elected from amongst the library's first contributors to the fund drive. During the twenty years prior to 1962, one of the big reasons the library was stalled was because the association couldn't find land or a building suitable to house a library. This problem was solved in 1960 when Eagan Real Estate offered the library rent-free space in their Shoppingtown property. In the official library plan, it states that "The Shoppingtown Merchants Association has offered to provide space for the library. This is equivalent to a contribution of over $4,000 per year."

And this is the story of how we became a Free Association Library. Click on the pictures below to view full-size versions of early documents, as well as a picture of Jack Robertson.

Annual Meeting

2009-02-02T20:07:00.000-05:00

It's that time of the year again! No, not Groundhog Day. It's DeWitt Community Library's Board of Trustees Annual Meeting! This will take place on Thursday, February 5th, so we thought it was a good time to look back at previous Annual Meetings. These meetings are important for two major reasons: 1.) The Board holds Trustee elections, and Trustees can also be voted on and/or nominated from the floor, and 2.) The Director of the library makes an Annual Report on a year's worth of library progress.

A host of different directors in our 46-year history have interpreted the Annual Report process in their own unique ways. Some have been businesslike and succinct, some pithy and amusing, and some visually creative, but all of them have been enthusiastic about the DCL. Traditionally, the Annual Meeting of DeWitt Community Library Associatioin is in February, with the exception of the first year, because the library opened in April of 1962 and the Annual Report was done in June of that same year, even though the "yearly" report would only encompass 29 days. "It has been a hectic year," wrote Director Lindsay Smith, "but highlighted by the cooperation which only a community project can inspire." Generally, early Director's Reports consisted of other Board officer and Committee summaries, although the Director's own words contained the bulk of the message. That first month, however, Mr. Smith's portion of the report was the smallest part, dwarfed by Administration and Treasurer's Committee reports on building costs and cash assets and liabilities.

By 1963, Lindsay Smith had already resigned his position as Director, and Katherine "Kay" Kinney took over the running of the library. She had been a volunteer on the regular library staff under Mr. Smith's leadership. Ms. Kinney did very detailed reports, underlining the tremendous growth and structuralization of DeWitt Library. Sometimes these early reports would contain odd items of interest, as in the papers from 1964: "We are most grateful to Mrs. Donald Moore who continues to give us pleasure with interesting and varied bulletin board displays. With her assistance, a display was arranged in the Lincoln Bank foyer during Children's Book Week." The DCL was truly a community effort, and especially supported by the Lincoln Bank, which even allowed the Board to meet in its building for planning before they got the library up and running. Mr. Smith and successive Directors up into the 1980s were also very complimentary about volunteers -- Boy and Girl Scouts, as well as a large group of other young people and adults, who helped out from the library's conceptualization to reality.

Other important topics Ms. Kinney would include in her Annual Reports dealt with programming. The DCL has always been a place that emphasizes quality programs for all ages, and it started right from that first full year and Kay Kinney's leadership and ideas. In addition to story hours, she introduced weekly film showings for children, a "Great Books Discussion Group" every other Tuesday night, and a children's poster contest. While Lindsay Smith did an incredible amount of leg work in the formation of the DeWitt Library, Kay Kinney was an innovator who was able to take Smith's foundation and build a trademark library that still functions with many of her ideas almost 50 years later. These characteristics are certainly reflected in both these start-up Directors' styles of Annual Report. Lindsay Smith is concise, succinct, and businesslike; and Kay Kinney is very detailed and enthusiastic, placing importance on many of the small interactions that make up a library's day-to-day business.

There has never been any specific structure for writing the Director's Annual Report, and this allows each Director to focus on what she/he thinks has made the year special, as well as let their styles and personalities show. Just from the years 1969-71, for example, there were two changes of Director, and while 1970's Director Louise Hemmingsen did a very short and straightforward report, Elizabeth Gilbert took over in 1971 and wrote a lighthearted and upbeat report that has the tone of an informal letter to a friend. "It is a measure of the stability of the DeWitt Community Library," she begins, "that in 1971, while under the leadership of three successive librarians, it opened every day on schedule and even increased its collections and circulation!" Ms. Gilbert concludes her report with a rousing "The outlook for 1972 is 'All Systems -- Go.' "

Elizabeth "Betsy" Gilbert's chatty and enthusiastic Annual Reports continued through 1975, when Janet Lomicka took over as Director. At this point, the stability of the DCL was well established, and we no longer see such ins and outs with regard to the Directorship. Ms. Lomicka stayed on until 1986, when Carol Johnson took over. Carol's reports tended to be bulleted lists of the progress made in each area of the library, and she continued her work with the DCL until 1996, when Susan Reckhow took the reins. Susan's Annual Reports tended to be showcase booklets with a lot of graphics. Unfortunately, she left the library in 2008 after 18 years with us, and 12 years as Director! So Interim Director Bill Hastings will be giving the Annual Report, and next year who knows? We will have a whole new person at the helm, and a whole new style of Annual Meeting!

Click on the pictures below to see full-size pictures of some of our past Directors: Lindsay Smith, Kay Kinney, and Susan Reckhow.

The Very First Director

2008-12-18T10:12:00.000-05:00

Although we didn't officially open the library doors until April 2, 1962, the DeWitt Community Library Association Inc. had been formed and planning the official opening of the library for quite a few years prior to that date. The organization and purpose of the library, as well as the process of joining the OCPL network, involved many months of drafting and discussion before the place you know today as DeWitt Community Library could be achieved.

Right now, we are involved in a big change, as our longtime Director Susan Reckhow recently left the DCL to pursue a new career opportunity. So we thought this would be a good time to take a look back -- way, way back -- at the very first library Director, a man by the name of Lindsay Smith. Back at the library's conception, the formal position of Director didn't exist just yet; Mr. Smith's title was simply Librarian, as he was the only librarian on staff when the doors opened in the spring of '62. Today, we find ourselves in a very similar position to the one back then, as we are in the process both of a Director search and a search for land to construct a free standing library. In the Board of Trustees meeting minutes dated September 7, 1961, secretary Bettie Roth notes that "George Heine . . . . announced that space under the Candlelight Shop will be available on October 1, 1961," however, he "also presented some blueprints prepared by Jack Robertson on August 23, 1961. The prints were four sets of plans for a split level library for erection on land donated by Eagan in Shoppingtown. These plans are all very tentative and looking forth many years into the future."

Although the library building project was put on hold, they did find a Director. In the notes for that same meeting, "Betty Smingler gave her report concerning the hiring of a librarian. She has spoken with Mr. Lindsay Smith who is a staff member in the English Department at Jamesville DeWitt High School. A graduate of Syracuse University, he has a M.A. in library science specializing in public library administration. He was a member of the library Board of Trustees of the local library in Ilion, New York." The Board also discussed the prospective librarian's salary "as set forth in the temporary budget. . . . Bettie Roth moved that Mr. Lindsay Smith be invited to be a librarian of the DeWitt Community Library Association Inc. at the rate of $3.00 an hour for 18 hours a week." This would amount to a yearly salary of about $2,800; fast forward to 1996, when Susan Reckhow was offered the same position at a salary of $30,000 a year.

So, Lindsay Smith was offered the position and invited to attend the next month's board meeting. Back then, there was still no formal library in which to meet. The Board and staff wouldn't actually be given keys to their space in Shoppingtown until a month before opening, so meetings of the Library Assocation were held in the Community Room of the Lincoln Bank Building. Accordingly, Lindsay Smith showed up at Lincoln Bank on Tuesday, September 26, 1961 and formally "accepted the proposition we voted to offer him. He has discussed his intention with Mr. McGee and is ready to go to work. This solves our most immediate and pressing problem and we can consider ourselves very fortunate in view of the shortage of librarians." He "was introduced to the board members and verbally accepted position of librarian . . . for the period of October 1, 1961 to September 30, 1962. Lindsay discussed kinds of books to be ordered and the total aim and type of library we hope to develop for the Town of Dewitt."

Smith's career as Director lasted until the library had been open for one year. Sadly, "because of Mrs. Smith's death" he resigned his position on April 4, 1963, and another librarian, Kay Kinney, took over the position. But during his time with the DCL, Lindsay Smith was very productive in all aspects of the Association. Back in 1961, when the library's balance sheets were written in longhand on legal paper, there are several checks noted for various amounts of money he donated to the library; he organized a massive book drive and coordinated the notation and cataloguing of hundreds of donated books to start up the collection, including hand choosing which of the donations would go into the loaning collection and which would be sold for additional start-up funds; and he did much of the leg-work of setting up the physical space, planning layout and furniture.

Click on the thumbnails below for full-size views of Lindsay Smith and other key members of the first library Board, and the Dedication Litany that was read the day the DeWitt Community Library opened.

The Evolution of a Library

2008-01-24T19:20:00.000-05:00

Here we are at the end of week 2, getting ready to officially open the new library, and we thought it would be nice to look at the way the new space has evolved. Click on the pictures for full-size versions.

New Moves, Old Moves

2008-01-20T16:05:00.000-05:00

We are halfway through our big move to new quarters for the DeWitt Community Library, so for today's post we thought it would be fun to look at the 1975 archives and the original move in comparison to this one. And let me tell you, kiddies, we have more in common with '75 than a penchant for bell bottom jeans and jive talk. A lot of the circumstances of the two moves are similar: the need for a lot more space; the timetable for the move (then, like now, we had until April to remain in our old space until plans for demolishing it were put into effect, and the earliest date the new space would be ready was January first); Greater Syracuse Moving and Storage Company was employed for both moves (although the cost definitely increased, as in 1975 the company was "to move the books, shelving, furniture and equipment for $500-$600); and, although Greater Syracuse Moving and Storage is doing the bulk of the work, during this move the staff has helped a great deal by packing out and unpacking the entire non-fiction and most of the computers ourselves, just as in 1975 the library had Boy Scout Troop 162 helping to pack up and move a lot of books and materials.

In the previous move, we had planned to and succeeded in securing that location for a great number of years, and as library services and materials increased we made as much room as we could; but this time, our move is temporary. Although we had over 7,000 square feet in the main area of our old library (not counting some office space we rented down the hall a few years ago), and we are moving to a space with about 12,000 square feet, ultimately the DCL needs 24,000 square feet to be comfortable and have room to grow. Therefore, the terms of our lease state we must occupy this new space for at least 3 years, and our lease with the mall isn't up until 2015, but the library Board of Trustees is going to use this time to find property on which we can build our own stand-alone space somewhere in DeWitt. So, it may not be long before we're packing up and moving again, but for now we have a beautiful new space in ShoppingTown, with much greater visibility within the mall, better lighting, and better use of space than we had in the old basement.

Famous Names at the DCL

2008-01-02T15:47:00.000-05:00

While perusing our archives (which we do frequently), we realized that the DeWitt Community Library has hosted some pretty big names in the writing world, so we thought it would be fun to look back at a few of them.

In 1975, for example, the Onondaga County Library System sponsored a visit by Matt Christopher, who has written over 100 children's sports novels that have sold almost 6 million copies. Some of his titles, available at the DeWitt Library, are: Catch That Pass!, The Dog That Pitched a No-Hitter, Mountain Bike Mania, and most recently a book called Dirt Bike Racer.

We have also had Alyssa Satin Capucilli visit us twice. Capucilli writes a popular series of children's books featuring Biscuit the Dog. She came to talk about the process of publishing a picture book in 2002 and then again in 2005, and stayed to enjoy refreshments and sign books afterwards. Her titles include: Biscuit Finds a Friend, Mrs. McTats and Her Houseful of Cats, Biscuit Visits the Big City, and of course the original Biscuit.

Most recently, we have had visits from Miriam Grace Monfredo and Tamora Pierce. Monfredo, author of the popular Glynis Tryon series, read from her work in January of 2006, when her book North Star Conspiracy was chosen as the CNY Reads novel for that year; and Pierce, who writers Young Adult fantasy novels, some of which comprise her Circle of Magic series, gave a reading and signed books in May of 2007.

Click on the pictures to see full-size photos of our big-name guests. All the books mentioned in this entry are available at the DeWitt Community Library.

On the Move!

2007-12-12T15:21:00.000-05:00

As you may have heard, the DeWitt Community Library is moving in January of 2008. What you may not know is that this isn't the first time we have packed up. The library moved in 1973 to a temporary location, and then again in 1975 to our current spot in the basement. Similarly, this January we will be moving to a temporary site in the basement of what used to be the Bon Ton store, with the hopes that in a few years, we will have a brand-new library built just for us!

A few things have changed over the years. Back in 1975, the DeWitt Library changed quarters with the tremendous help of Boy Scout Troop 162 and other volunteers; but luckily for us, our collection and budget are a lot bigger so this time we will be working with a moving company. We will be closed for two weeks (January 13-February 2), and it will take the movers an estimated 7 working days, moving books, shelving, and office equipment, from 9-5 every day, to get everything into the new space. In addition, library staff will be on hand to set up the office and direct the movers with regard to where all the materials go on the other side. We will be upgrading the way we shelve our non-fiction, so that in the new space we will employ bookstore-like categories rather than relying strictly on the Dewey Decimal numbers, so we have to help the movers quite a bit with placement of materials.

Click on the pictures below for full-size views of what our new space looks like under construction, as well as articles from the prior move.

The New Circulation System

2007-10-25T15:07:00.000-04:00

Last month, the county library system migrated to a new ILS (which is just a fancy way of saying we got a new computer system), so we thought it would be interesting to post some information about the last time we upgraded the system, 11 years ago.

In our post of July 6th, we talked about what we did in the pre-computer days, when we used ledgers and a charging machine from the Gaylord Company to check out items and record statistics. Gaylord supplied our first charging maching in the '70s, which was upgraded to an automated circulation system when they came out with their Galaxy series of computers in the '80s. We used that system until 1996, when the county switched to the Sirsi/Dynix circulation system that employed those green screens with which you're all so familiar! Dynix ran on WISE terminals, which use VT-100 (Video Terminal-100). This is the green or "dumb" screen that uses only keyboard strokes and text for data entry. It has some advantages, as it is a straightforward interface that allows the user to get from point A to point B in a straight line. However, the user much also be familiar with a long list of codes and keystrokes in order to use the machine, whereas with a Windows-based system, the user has a mouse and color pictures and windows to navigate and input information. This, too, has it s drawbacks, as it's more of a web than the VT-100, so there are many different winding roads from points A to B, and the user must take more training time to learn his/her most comfortable methods.

In May of 1996, OCPL began migrating to the Dynix Horizon series of circulation software (VT-100 green screens). The Dynix patent was owned by a company called Ameritech, which had control of the system between 1992 and 2000. Dynix was funded partly by Central Library, and involved some major new equipment, including terminals, receipt printers, and light pens for scanning.

This brings us to the present. We are moving back to our local roots by switching to Polaris, a Gaylord company based in Liverpool. Polaris is a Windows-based system that looks quite different from our old green screens, but does all the same things and more. You may notice a few changes on your end, as well, when you check your account or do a book search online. And, just as in 1996 we were migrating to the Dynix system at the same time as we were doing major renovations to our library, this year we find ourselves migrating to the Polaris system and preparing to move to a new location at the same time!

Sming with a Swing

2007-08-31T15:03:00.000-04:00

On July 27th, we told you a little bit about Betty Smingler, after whom our children's room is named. Well last week as we were digging through the library archives, we found lots more information about her. Click on the small pictures to enlarge these articles about Betty Smingler's work at the library, as well as the photograph of the children's room dedication ceremony.

Technology #2

2007-08-10T14:51:00.000-04:00

This week's post is a continuation of last week's discussion about library technology over the years. We found some interesting pamphlets and Board meeting notes from 1983-84 regarding computer purchases and upgrades. Click on each image to get the full-page view.

Public Computers

2007-08-03T14:38:00.000-04:00

On your last trip to the DeWitt Community Library, you may have taken advantage of our public computer terminals, thereby unwittingly becoming part of our 25-year history of providing this service to library users. That's right -- 25 years! Sure, we currently use the latest in computer and Internet technology to bring you information at the speed of light, but back in March of 1983 we were just getting our feet wet. That was the year the Board of Trustees asked the DeWitt Rotary for funds to purchase an Apple II Plus computer for patrons of the library.

In the minutes of the March 15, 1983 Trustees meeting, the secretary recorded that "An orientation, validation session, on the computer was given to members of the Board by Janet. To use the computer one must be validated." Janet Lomicka, the library Director, helped set up rules for computer use, which included a valid library card, as well as attending an orientation program (required no matter how much experience patrons may have had with computers).

Back when we got our first computer, we had a weekly sign-up and patrons could reserve a maximum of 1 hour per week on the computer. Fast-forward to 1997, when the Annual Director's Report states that two new computers were purchased: one for a CD-ROM station with a five-CD changer, and one for future Internet access. These stations were available for 1-hour time slots per day, with the option to sign up for an additional hour if needed.

In April 1998, we began to offer Internet access through a connection with the Onondaga County Public Library; and in May of that year OCPL also began providing database access, meaning patrons can now search hundreds of journals, newspapers, and reference books from their home computers 24 hours a day. In 2000, we got Road Runner High-speed Internet, and in 2005 we added free wireless access for any patron who brings in an Internet-ready laptop. Our sign-ups have changed quite a bit, as well, because since early this year we have used a program called CybraryN, which allows patrons to sign themselves up for 1-hour time slots right on the computer, meaning we can do away with our old paper schedules. Any way you slice it, your DCL has been on the cutting edge of computer technology, to provide our patrons with increased research and reference options for a quarter of a century!

More about the early days

2007-07-27T12:28:00.000-04:00

In our post of July 6, we answered a question concerning early DeWitt Library circulation procedures. In the ensuing week, we spoke with Jane Hyde, a current volunteer who has been with the library since before it opened in 1962. Jane has helped us in various capacities, starting out as a volunteer in the process of founding the library; she was promoted to a paid clerk's position in 1966, then later took a position on the Board of Trustees, before returning to her roots in recent years as a volunteer. When we told Jane about our Archives Blog she was excited to shar firsthand information about the origins of DeWitt Community Library.

Jane remembers the first librarian, a man by the name of Lindsay Smith, who was also an English teacher and school librarian at Jamesville-DeWitt High School during the sixties. There were two other part-time librarians, Kay Kinney and Dot Schultes, and several volunteers. This meant that, for the library's infant years, we kept shorter hours depending on whether or not staff were available. Since the library had almost no budget, all the books in the collection were donated by community members and catalogued by volunteers.

Patrons of DeWitt Community Library might notice the sign in our children's room that says: "Betty Smingler Children's Room, Dedicated April 25, 2982." According to Jane Hyde, Ms. Smingler was a grade-school librarian at Genesee Hills School, which was located in the building that is now the Jewish Community Center. She, along with another librarian named Betty Roth, would spend time reading to children at the DeWitt Library. Smingler was also a library Board member, and as such played an active role in library policy making. For her years of dedicated service, we named the children's room after Betty Smingler in 1982.

Jane Hyde also had some information to add regarding circulation procedures and statistics. She remembers a series of punch cards which had circles all around the sides for the different days of the month. Clerks would punch out the due date and whne they had a stack at the end of the day, they would line up the cards and put a metal rod through the hole in the outermost card. Then they would shake all the other cards out and the rod would go all the way through the stack for that one particular due date. This process helped librarians determine circulation statistics for how many items had been checked out during a particular day. According to our statistics for April of 1962 (the first month the library was open), we circulated a total of 1,258 items. 428 juvenile fiction checkouts were made, and 415 adult fiction checkouts, and we took in a grand total of $1.40 in fines! When we talk about "circulation statistics" it's different from the total circulating items. We might, for example, have had only a few hundred books in the collection, but they circulated a total of 1,200 times; one book that went out 5 times in any given month gives us a total of 5 circ on that item for the month. Compare this number of 1,258 in April 1962 to April 2007's circulation of 28,489 items for the month.

Click on the photographs to look at full-size versions of each image. They represent: a copy of the circulation statistics for 1964-1965, a couple of pages from the Dedication of the library, pictures of Lindsay Smith and Kay Kinney, and Betty Smingler's picture and library card. You'll note that Smingler's card number is 3, and her husband was card #4; Jane Hyde tells us her daughter was #8. Imagine being the 3rd or 4th person ever to have a DeWitt Library card, when today all of our numbers are 14 digits long!

DeWitt's Original Library

2007-06-15T12:09:00.000-04:00

Welcome to the DeWitt Community Library Archives Blog! We will be posting information about the history of the library, as well as the Town of DeWitt, which we have in our current library archives. We invite reader comments and information.

Below is a photograph of the original DeWitt Library, which was in a different location from our present space. It opened on April 8, 1962, in what is now the enclosed ShoppingTown Mall, but back then it was a strip mall on Erie Boulevard. That means you could pull up right to the door in your old Pontiac Bonneville. Fast forward to the present day mall, where we are nestled in the basement down a dark cavernous hallway. Boufants have become pixie cuts, and Susan Reckhow has joined a 45-year succession of directors that began with Lindsay G. Smith back in '62.

We have also included a scan of one of the first library cards issued at the DCL. Click on the images to enlarge.

Circulation History

2007-07-06T12:15:00.000-04:00

This week's post is in response to an enthusiastic reader query regarding the old circulation system at the DeWitt Community Library. Jennifer P. wrote to us as follows: "How about a post on how the librarians kept track of circulation back then? They must have written all the names down in a ledger or something, right?"

Well, Ms. P., we have spent the last 2 weeks tirelessly researching this subject. We searched our own archives, as well as contacting former DCL employees Judy Jones and Janet Lomicka. According to the Board of Trustees archives, they purchased a Gaylord charging machine in 1961 for $325.00. The DeWitt Community Library officially opened on April 9, 1962, and in June of that year (29 days after the opening) the Annual Board Report states that 1,166 borrower's cards had been issued: 550 to adults and 616 to juveniles. Different colored cards were placed in each book for stamping the due dates: white for adult, salmon for junior borrowers; patrons were issued cards with corresponding colors, and including a small metal plate bearing the letter "D" for adults and "JD" for juveniles.

According to Ms. Lomicka, a former director of DeWitt Library, "We inserted each borrower's card into the machine along with the book, record, or magazine card that identified it by author, title, etc. The machine would imprint the borrower number onto the item card. This, therefore, gave us a record of the item, the borrower, and the due date." What, you may ask, did we do before the days of DYNIX green screens, when we could easily check the status of a book? We filed cards tirelessly by due date, giving us easy access to information on whether a particular book was checked out and when it was due back. When items were returned, clerks simply retrieved the stamped card and put it back in the item.

Ms. Jones adds that "before the 'date stamper machine' there were pencils with date stamps on the ends." A card would also be placed in the book pocket, stamped with the patron's due date. In addition, a registration book was kept with borrowers' names and unique numbers. Refer to the pictures on this post for copies of early library policies, examples of due date cards, and an example of a patron card.