Friends of the Encino-Tarzana Library

When I started my duty as Acting Senior Librarian, I and our fine library staff set about to heavily weed all the collections and get a handle on the used books that came in as gifts. I changed the used book donations receiving procedure so that they were sent directly to the Friends of the Library volunteers, who stored them in the Meeting Room. Our librarians went through the donations there and selected many to be added to our collection - the rest were sorted and temporarily stored by the Friends for sale in their Bookstore and quarterly Book Sales, with the income benefiting the Library. The Meeting Room now has hours assigned when the wonderful Friends can do their magic with the used book donations.

I arranged to move some library collections to make them more accessible to our patrons. Popular collections like the Audiobooks, New Books, and the Hot-Off-The-Press books were moved to be seen more quickly and to make room for expansion. We began to convert some of the reference collection to circulating status as has been done at many branches, since much of their information can be had on the Internet now. Music scores were taken out of the non-fiction and put behind the Information Desk, leaving more sorely-needed room on the non-fiction shelves. The exam books were moved out of the Young Adult area to give YA more room for their ever-popular classics and graphic novels. And new signs were created for all of the sections for easier discovery by patrons.

Friends of Library monies were used to purchase many books, DVD and CD cases, book jacket covers, renew the subscription to a popular Russian newspaper, and provide programs for all ages. Encino-Tarzana Library is really fortunate to have such a caring and hard-working group of supporters in the Friends of the Library, folks with brains as well as brawn!

My starting in September at Encino-Tarzana Library threw me into a busy branch with the usual mayhem that accompanies public service but thankfully, before the City's economic woes led to further complications. I'd had many cautionary rumblings from friends about accepting the acting senior position at ET: the patrons are all hot-headed, especially concerning fines; the staff is rather contentious; the workload was tremendous, ET being the sixth busiest branch of 72 branches City-wide has its downside, after all, and being ACTING means all the your efforts mean naught as you can and probably will be ultimately replaced.

Having been a long-term sub librarian here a few years ago, I was aware of some of the issues already. And from previous experience as acting senior, I knew the folly of charging in and immediately attempting to change procedures and policies, especially trying to change people. I was determined to come in with my eyes open and my mind as well, figuring I'd give it my best shot. But was I surprised! Nothing prepared me for the great charm of this place: a really good collection with people dedicated to working hard to keep it up and provide great service to an interested, educated and grateful public! In my 28 years working for the L.A. City Library Dept., I don't think I've met more professional staff members or more caring and concerned patrons anywhere. As I've worked at all 20 branches in the San Fernando Valley at one time or another, that's saying a lot.

I think Melissa's report in August of this year, prior to her leaving ET, summed up the financial and social relationship of the Library and the Friends very well, and in the past three months, there has been little added business to report. Mostly, I've been running to catch up with all of the demands of my new position, learning the many new computer formats, the payroll and ordering procedures, the branch equipment and repair needs, who to call for what, and of course, discovering who the unique and terrific people are that I work with. That includes the ET Friends of the Library members, especially President Barbara Leff and the Board. What a group of over-achieving, bright, reliable and fun folks to work with!

Looking at the immediate future, the Library Dept., along with all of the other City departments, is cutting back, reflecting the worsened economic times. The first order of business came this past week: hours of service would be cut as of December 11. Every Friday, libraries will only be open from 1:30 to 5:30 p.m. All employees will be taking a 7-hr. per month salary cut as well via work furlough. This is perhaps an opening move, further cuts may be implemented next year.

Employees have also been told that administrative transfers will be made. This means branches that have fewer than the necessary numbers of staff will take on staff from other branches and the transfers will become permanent. I don't expect to lose any staff from ET as we are a very busy branch, but since the City has not been hiring for the past year and there have been staff retirements where positions have not been filled, it is conceivable that we might lose a staff member or two. That might curtail our reference and circulation duties considerably.

Though we have an excellent collection, one of our most immediate needs is to weed to make room for newer titles and get rid of now less popular items and those in poor condition. We continue to get so many great gifts but often don't have enough shelf space for them. In that same vein, we are cleaning up the staff workroom to create badly needed storage space as well as enlarging work areas. I will be asking for funds to purchase some organizers to this end.

Meanwhile, we will continue to bring you interesting book clubs, programming for all ages, free computer use, and a place to come to get in touch with your best self and discover new prospects for the future. We've been in tight times before. With such good people on my team, I'm confident we'll just get more innovative to meet these newest challenges!

Dear Barbara and Friends,

I wanted to let you know that after three really great years in Encino-Tarzana, I have accepted a position as the Senior Librarian at the New Silver Lake branch at 2411 Glendale Blvd. It is a brand new branch in a new "green" (Bamboo & solar panels & so on) building that is not open to the public yet, in a community that has never had its own library. This is a great opportunity for me and it is much, much closer to my home, so I can be more green by not driving so very far every day.

I wanted to let you know though, that I will miss seeing and working with you, as you are all so generous and supportive and without you there is no way that this library could have had the 6th highest circulation for branches in the system last fiscal year. From July 2008 through June 2009, Encino-Tarzana circulated 321,245 items. This was only possible because our Friends support us and give us extras that other branches do not have, like Hot Off the Press and additional items throughout the year that we could not afford on the city budget alone.

Michele Raeburn from Granada Hills will become the Acting Senior Librarian starting on Monday, August 31.

Thank you for everything, and I will miss you.

Sincerely,

Melissa Potter