Lynn library embracing technology age

LYNN – The city’s library collection has undergone its biggest expansion in years by becoming all things to all people.The North Common Street library has 159,000 titles available for circulation this year compared to 147,000 last year and 87,000 in 2002. The reason for the spike, says Chief Librarian Nadine Mitchell, is the popularity of compact disks and digital videos.”We used to be more ‘bookcentric,’ but in the 21st century, it is important to diversify the collection,” Mitchell said.For Mitchell and her coworkers, that means revamping the book collection to include plenty of copies of bestsellers and as many current titles as possible. It also means boosting the DVD collection to 3,000 titles.English as a second language titles are a major focus of the library’s video and book collection.”ESL is a big draw here. We are a gateway to people who are new to this country and who come in looking for a job,” Mitchell said.Movies represent 40 percent of the titles currently circulated by the library. Younger readers raised online are as comfortable downloading music and viewing a DVD as they are cracking a book. Mitchell calls them “grazers” – technologically adept library goers who are comfortable browsing through an audio book or the Internet.Starting in September, library users will be able to download some titles and synchronize their texts into iPods and other portable systems using a device called Overdrive.”We have to be all things to everyone in the Techie Age,” Mitchell said.The library’s success in bolstering circulation is crucial to its ability to meet state library certification standards. The Board of Library Commissioners evaluates the number of hours a library is open to the public and how much local funding is spent on library services.The evaluations and scores attached to them help the commissioners make state funding determinations.The circulation boost comes during a transition time for the library. Spending cutbacks in 2003 closed the three branch libraries and consolidated their collections in the North Common Street branch.The branch sales netted $1 million to pay for the main library’s future expansion but plans to design and build a new addition are on hold while the city focuses on finishing Manning Field and repairing Classical High School’s sinking foundation.In the meantime, the library trustees with the support of the Friends of the Lynn Library have restored the library’s art collection and planned lighting and telephone upgrades.”The mayor intends to renovate but his plate is just too full right now,” Mitchell said.