The good news is that the Peoria Public Library is finally reopening its Local History and Genealogy section that was closed for a while due to the $28 million remodeling/renovation/building project. The bad news is, it’s only open limited hours:
Peoria Public Library opened the new Local History and Genealogy Room at the Peoria Public Library Main Library on Tuesday, March 15 at 10:00 a.m.
The new facility is on Lower Level One. The room, enclosed with glass walls, will be open from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday and from 9:00 a.m. to noon on Saturday. During construction, the department was located off-site and materials were moved back in January and arranged in the new space.
Wait a minute. The taxpayers just spent $28 million for a library “expansion,” and now we’re being told they’re limiting access to arguably the most vital section of the library? Only certain days? And then only a portion of those days?
I was just looking over the library’s strategic plan. I’m wondering how reducing hours will “increase value to customers” (objective 2.1), or “enhance and optimize facilities” (objective 4.1). Or how going from a full-time research library to a part-time research library jibes with the library’s vision: “To advance learning, knowledge, personal growth, and the quality of life in the greater Peoria area.” Does “advance” mean “go backwards” now?
“The Peoria Public Library,” the strategic plan promises, “will strive to provide … innovative services and collections that are readily accessible [emphasis added], easy to use, and relevant to community needs, and that are known and valued by every segment of the community.” Does “readily accessible” mean taking materials that used to be available every day and hour the library was open and putting them on a special floor that’s now only open limited hours?
Perhaps the library’s stated mission should be recast from “Bringing people and information together,” to “Bringing people and information together only on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays from 10 to 4 and Saturday from 9 to noon,” or “Bringing people and information together less often.”
Library Director Ed Szynaka has not responded to my request for comment.
UPDATE: I received an e-mail this morning from the library director. Apparently he did try to write me earlier, but transposed a couple of numbers in my e-mail address, which is why I didn’t receive it. Here’s his response:
Thank you for contacting Peoria Public Library. I am unable to tell from your communication whether you have been to visit our new Local History room which has only been open to the public for two hours as I write this. If you have visited I believe you will have noticed the many physical improvements that have been made both to care for the collection and to offer it more easily to our visitors. As you may be aware, so much of the collection is unique and one-of-a-kind and our objective was to offer as much access as possible in a controlled environment that would protect it. We believe we have succeeded.
You have stated that Local History is the most valuable resource Peoria Public Library offers. Certainly it is unique, but it is not the resource in the widest demand nor the sole purpose of the library. As Library Director in these tough economic times, I must balance the needs of the entire community with our operating budget. The operating budget is a separate issue from our bond measure. Our $28 million building project created structures that will enable our community to have the very best library service for the next several generations. It is unfortunate that at the time Peoria Public Library is reopening, operating funds are not as readily available and we must live within our means.
We are just now entering a new era of library service which will reach its full potential as the remainder of our buildings reopen in 2011. As with any new venture, we must have a starting place from which to launch operations and as public usage and demand show what hours of operation work well for our community we will adjust. In the meantime, we offer 21 hours of open access to the collection as well as online databases that can be used in any Peoria Public Library and some from home 24/7 with a library card. Many local history questions can be answered through our reference department if immediate answers are required. Our Local History collection has a wonderful new space that will protect our holdings and volunteers from The Peoria County Genealogical Society are helping to staff the room.
I thank you for input and assure you that we are keeping close watch on usage and demand for all our library services.
Sincerely,
Edward M. Szynaka
Director
Peoria Public Library
UPDATE 2: Here is my response to Mr. Szynaka:
Dear Mr. Szynaka,
Thank you for your response. I still vociferously disagree with the decision to restrict hours to the local history and genealogy section.
Taxpayers were assured at the time of the referendum (and many times subsequently) that the library would be able to staff the branches adequately even with the addition of a new branch on the north end. We were told that the new open floor plan downtown and self-checkout devices would allow the library to maintain the same level of service with fewer staff members. In fact, the library’s strategic plan states explicitly, “A new, revitalized Main Street Branch will be able to offer better service with a smaller staff.” [emphasis added] We were told that operating costs would be further kept in check because the upgrades would provide better energy efficiency. We were told the library would actually make more materials directly available as they would be moved out of the basement onto the shelves. Now you’re telling me and all the other taxpayers of Peoria that you can’t afford the operating costs resulting from your capital improvements/expansion after all? And that as a result you have to restrict access to even more materials than were previously restricted?
Let me put it bluntly: I never would have supported the library referendum if I had known the Local History and Genealogy section would be locked up and inaccessible over 60% of the library’s operating hours. I even wrote a letter of support for a grant application for the library that specifically singled out the local history resources as being a vital asset to our community. Now you’re effectively taking that asset away from the working community.
You asked if I had visited the new Local History room. The answer is no — not because I don’t want to visit, but because I can’t visit due to the restricted hours. I work during the day, like most people in Peoria. I note that the room is open for three hours on Saturday, but in the summer when the branch closes on Saturday, even that won’t be an option. So the materials are now effectively inaccessible to the working community.
You mentioned that this resource is “unique.” That is precisely why I feel so strongly that it should be available whenever the library is open. Unlike novels, movies, and even computers that can be accessed from several sources, the local history information in your collection is only available in one place: the Peoria Public Library. If patrons want to search pre-1991 editions of the Peoria Journal Star or historic City Council minutes archives or the expansive vertical file, there is no other place this information can be accessed.
I respectfully and earnestly request that the library keep its promises to provide better service by making the Local History and Genealogy section fully accessible to the public again.
Sincerely,
C. J. Summers
And you worked so hard to agitate for the massive renovation project. You would think the people who run the library would be more appreciative.
When will you learn C.J. Government doesn’t expand for the purposes of increasing the services offered. It increases for the purposes of hiring more oepple and giving bosses bigger budgets.
Actually increasing services means they have to work harder.
It is very tragic that their hours are limited like that. The people that work during the day can not do research during the week, because it would be closed when they get off work. And for it to be opened only for 3 hours on Saturday, is very sad. What are they thinking? When it was at its temporary place, the TV station, it was opened until 6 during the week except closed on Wednesday and opened all day on Saturday. What happened to the employees who were working those hours? Why can’t they work the same hours now?
I was surprised on my first visit that there are folks (paid I presume) that just stand around “keeping an eye” on the clientele and when you go check out it’s a do-it-yourself system (with a paid employee to show you how it’s done). Why sink all that money into it and then reduce the hours of operation?
How aggravating. Even worse, the only day many of us can visit, Saturday, it is closed completely during the summer months.
$28 million? No, it would have been more lke $35 million if two councilman hadn’t accepted my invitation to visit Lakeview to see first hand that Lakeview should not be expanded until the effects on Lakeview useage after the opening of what I will call the “Rte. 6 Library”.
Their votes were key in saving the cmmunity another $7.6 renovatiopn and expansion of Lakeview Library.
No, Eric Turner was not one who visited with me despite admitting he needed to know a lot more about libraries after he had already signed a letter promoting the ridiculous expansion of underused Lincoln Library, “the site of the dead discovered and uncovered” at a unkown cost of over $500,000.
Remember, the motto of compassionate Peoria is equal rights for minorities to have new facilities whether used or not. Hint: the new Southside Library and WestSide Library both now closed for good.
Remember, no public body has the money to build anything in Peoria today without borrowing the majority if not all, the money.
Figure the library project to cost closer to $40 million including interest. $40 million would have put a lot of cops on the street for years to come.
C.J., you read my mind! I just went there on Monday (on one of my extrememly rare days off work during) and got opressed by this very thing. After spending hours at the courthouse searching for land deeds on my property (a much more difficult task than sifting through the geneology info at the library,) I went there to photocopy one page out of an old Peoria directory and found the new hours. I pleaded with them to let me go print the page. I knew exactly where to go for the info I needed. It would have taken half an hour at most. Now I need to try to figure out when I can take another day off work to follow-up. It’s quite a hassle when you’re not getting paid for your own research.
patronsaint, I experienced the same thing when they were at the WTVP building, but I asked and most of those there were unpaid volunteers. My next question, of course, is: Where are those volunteers now? Why can’t they work the geneology section the same hours as before?
CJ,
I visited the local history and geneology section this morning. When I arrived (at 10:00 or so), all four microfilm viewing machines were in use. I was told that the limited hours were partially due to the fact that this is now a separate section.
It is my understanding the PJStar employees needing to look through their archives, must go to the Peoria Public Library to view articles they need for historical reference. That’s probably why access to this section is available during the daytime.
In the fall of 2008, I began looking through the PJStar on microfilm so I could dig up some local aviation, business and railroad history. I began in January 1957. It takes a LONG time to go through each year. Progress depends on the quality of machines.
The lenses in three of the four they have available do not allow me to see the entire page on one screen. Also, I miss those manual machines for viewing only. They were MUCH EASIER on the eyes!
I took a break each summer after 2008-2009, but I managed to finish five whole years: 1957-1961, and part of 1962. In 2009-2010, I finished 1962-1966. But since fall 2010, I’ve only managed to get through July 1969.
So I’m not happy about the limited hours either. But I was told to complain. I may just do that.
I also was at the library Saturday morning and was very disappointed. You were only allowed one hour to be on the machines. The section pertaining to Peoria itself is very poor as far as books because they have converted over 90% of them to microfilm. You just don’t put the microfilm in and immediately find what you are looking for, it sometimes takes hours to go through microfilm searching newspapers and books. Now you can get to what you are looking for and have to quit because your hour is up. This is very wrong. The people working there were very congenial, it isn’t their fault. One person didn’t get there until 11:30 and only had about 20 minutes to look at the microfilm. I go all over the state and have never run into libraries in big cities being limited like this. And Mr. Jordan is right, the quality of the machines are terrible. Now because I work, I have to wait a whole week to go back because they aren’t open after work and then can’t even be guaranteed I can do research if the machines aren’t free. No reason for this.
Have not been downtown to visit the new section. I did use the department on a number of times during the past. To be ‘fair’ there is a realistic point behind items being supervised and somewhat controled. It’s not the information so to say that is the issue, it’s the abilty to preserve and protect the items the material is available on/within itself.
I would hope that an evening or two during the week would soon be made possible…people work and access sure be aimed around what is considered to be ‘user friendly’ to all of those who choose to use it. One would also think that additional viewing equipment should be able to be afforded the department considering the amount spent to actually enhance the department.
Seriously, if one visits places of genealogical/historical research one will find that limited hours of access and/or close supervision are the norm. At times staffing of such material of such items is volunteer for specialized assistance in finding and understanding what one is looking for.
As said, I’ve not been down for a while, but I will assume that there are computers open to use at times the department are not available. I will also assume that the library subscribes to access to search research areas as Ancestry, Heritage Quest, NewsBank ect. Oneline data that does not require such sensitive motitoring for durabilty and presevation purposes.
To be honest, I’ve watched in horror as a citizen (no not at this library) would take a book which was already old and well worn over to a copy machine and with no thought to the item would smack the book and it’s frail condition right on in. While ‘they’ might now have gotten out of the book the information ‘they’ desired, they have damaged the book and shorten it’s lifespan.
Looking forward to visiting the new department and giving it a peek see. Perhaps within time the little giltches currently being experienced by some can be worked out.
rd, from what I understand you can only access Heritage Quest, Ancestry and etc. in the genealogy department. And most genealogists who have done research for any length of time have access to those already on our home computer. We go to the library to be able to access the microfilm and can’t do so with a limitation of 1 hour per week on Saturdays. I agree some people weren’t taking care of the books, and I like you would cringe when I saw how they were being handled. But at least we would be able to look up items in the books instead of resorting to the microfilm most of the time. The time limitations on this library is not in sync with other libraries especially big city ones.
…and the museum will be used for…? …and the archives located in Bradley University’s library will be usef for…? …and the Peoria Historical Society will be used for…? Lakeview? I am afraid all I can leave you with is a big fat…? Wasted funds and wasted space. In Peoria business as usual.
Libraries may be relegated to the useless catagory of services for most citizens. I say this because of electronic readers now available, and bookstores struggling to profit & avoid bankruptcy. Libraries provide other good services, but 80 percent of what they do for the majority of people is access to paper books. If it was me looking to spend 28 million I wouldn’t spend it on more capacity for paper books…. I’d at least wait 5 years to see how ebooks shake out. 28 mil could have bought 187,000 Kindles assuming no discount for bulk purchasing.
Does anyone have an update on what happened? Were evening hours for access to genealogy/local history updated at some point?
NotAPeorian: The local history/genealogy section is now open the same hours as the rest of the main branch of the library. However, whereas the library used to be open until 9 p.m., it is now only open until 6 p.m. So there’s still a reduction in hours overall. Hours for the main branch are 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Saturday.