Lynn Blumenstein -- Library Journal, 12/8/2008
o City Councilor requests more data
o Closure plan would save $100,000 over three years
o Kiosks intended to be short-term would be replaced by multi-use facilities
Although the Washington Post has reported that the District of Columbia Public Library (DCPL) will close its smallest facilities, five 1400 square foot library kiosks, that decision isn’t a done deal.
DCPL spokesperson George Williams told LJ that a City Council member at a December 3 meeting asked for a “more compelling reason” to close the five locations. DCPL is to report back to the City Council by December 16.
The rationale behind the closings is improving library service, Williams noted, not saving money. Closing the kiosks would save DCPL $100,000 over three years, not per year, as reported in the Post, he added.
“The DC Public Library has known for some time that our kiosks are not providing adequate service to the community,” said DCPL chief librarian Ginnie Cooper in a November 20 news release. “This is due in large part to the very small size of the kiosks.” The plexiglas and metal facilities, meant to last no more than five to seven years, were built in the late 1970s and early 1980s in underserved neighborhoods.
The kiosks, open on weekdays from 9:30 am to 5:30 pm, are only 25 percent as busy as the least busy neighborhood library. The average circulation per day ranges between 15 and 20 books. Computer usage is also low; used between 30 and 40 times a day.
Replacement plans
Langston, R.L. Christian, and Sursum Corda kiosks are scheduled to close by January 1, Deanwood has been closed for several months, and Parklands-Turner kiosk will close once an alternative library location is identified. Replacement facilities have been announced for two, but without firm dates.
A new 5000 square foot Sursum Corda library will be incorporated into a project called Northwest One sometime after August 2009; it also will include a recreation center and school. The new Deanwood Recreation Center, due for completion sometime in 2010, will include a 10,000 square foot. library about one mile from the Deanwood kiosk. In addition, discussions are underway that would merge the Langston and R.L. Christian kiosks in the planned Rosedale Recreation Center a half mile away from both libraries. No dates have been announced.
But what about providing services in the interim? DCPL has posted a list of nearby branches that could fill until the replacement facilities are operational.
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