For many rural Americans, the public library is the heart of the community. According to the U.S. Department of Education, three out of ten libraries in the United States are defined as smaller, rural libraries serving less than 2,500 people. The “backbone of public librarianship in the United States” can be found in these small libraries that populate rural America (Vavrek, 2008).
However, there have been tipping points along the way that have caused change in the way libraries are perceived. Tipping points that have taken place in the last decade include revolutionary technology, increasing patron demand, changing perceptions of libraries, and modifications to the duties of librarians.
Ready or not, public librarians are in the thick of that change, and these changes that have taken place within the last decade have been “particularly propitious for small and rural libraries correcting the previous historical imbalance” (Vavrek, 2008). More than ever before, library managers are more involved in the “rigors of working with library boards and the budgeting process in small public libraries” and are advocating for and marketing libraries (Vavrek, 2008).
Outstanding credit is due to the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation for recognizing and accommodating this change with its enormous contributions to information technology at the local level. WebJunction, a product of this grant, is a storehouse of information that goes beyond technology to offer tools librarians can use for outreach and promotion of small, rural public libraries.
-Delene DelaRosa, Director
Quitman Public Library, Quitman, TX
Reference:
Vavrek, Bernard. 2008, “Future Agenda for Rural and Small Libraries in the US.” Final Report of the national Summit on Rural and Small Libraries. Center for the Study of Rural Librarianship. Clarion University of Pennsylvania. http://arsl.pbworks.com/f/Clarion+National+Summit+on+Rural+&+Small+Libraries+-+FINAL+REPORT+with+ARSL+GOALS+-+27Oct08.pdf
