Best of 2011 @ MPL

We live in a tech-savvy world, but in every community there are those who fall behind or never get around to acquiring the basics of computer literacy. From February to April the Main Library’s reference staff provided free classes on computer, internet, email, and resume basics to patrons with limited computer skills. In the end, we had more prospective students than available classroom seats, and yet those who took the classes got their first crucial glimpse into what it’s like to get connected.

Lark Branch has a strong following among children and teens. This year, though, it reached out to adults with a series of free programs throughout the Fall. Patrons were treated to creative Thanksgiving cooking and a themed “bring your own book” club, among other engaging events. The cooking event in particular featured an HEB chef, who visited Lark to demonstrate how to make special dishes for Thanksgiving.

“Say good-bye to paper registration!” we announced to the public – in order to say hello to a faster registration process for new library cardholders. With an online form you register for a library card from home or anywhere with an internet connection and then visit the library to validate your account (government-issued photo ID and proof of address required). Good-bye paper, hello convenience!

In a library system, branch libraries are like younger siblings to the older, experienced main branch. This year Main’s twin sisters, Lark and Palm View, turned 10, and yet they’re all grown up. Since opening January 18, 2001, our branches have served the McAllen community through a combined total of 3.5 million visits and 1.5 million check-outs – and counting. The birthday party we staged last January was as much a celebration of their past as of their future. It was also an opportunity to say: You make Main proud, Lark and Palm View!

Every Friday from July to October we used MPL’s Facebook page to spotlight library staff, introducing patrons to the personalities behind the service desks and behind the scenes. We featured 28 staff members from all departments and locations, shared their on-duty mug shots alongside their answers to probing questions. If you could be any kind of tree, we asked one celebrity, what kind would it be and why? She answered: “Japanese Cherry tree because they effortlessly produce blossoms that spread tranquility and camaraderie.” Not just an answer but an insight into a thoughtful, hardworking team.

We closed one door to open another. It’s as simple as that. After 61 years of service, the Old Main Library closed down on November 23. But this chapter really began five years earlier, in 2006, with the arrival of Library Director Jose Gamez. From that point on, every major change Mr. Gamez initiated at Old Main – from revamping its entire collection to launching a new catalog system – happened with an eye on the future. Now that the future has arrived, the closing of Old Main appears to have been one part of a large-scale, hard-earned achievement by all involved.

One of the most exciting steps we took this year was expanding the library’s collection into digital media. On October 3 we launched our first-ever eBook collection, which consists of popular fiction and nonfiction titles. With an MPL card and PIN# you download eBooks from a special website to your computer, eReader, or mobile device. Recent internal discussions among MPL librarians led to the decision to allocate a sizeable percentage of the total collection budget to buying eBooks, meaning patrons can look forward to a richer selection of digital titles in the months and years to come.

Now more than ever, libraries are raising their voices, trying to reach patrons in a loud, media-driven world. One way they’re doing this is through branding, using a logo and tagline to summarize who they are and what they do. In November MPL announced its new brand. The logo: a multicolored symbol of the new library’s irregular window pattern; the tagline: “Where people & ideas meet & connect.” Inspired by a building spanning one story larger than two football fields and powered by $1 million worth of technology, MPL’s new brand evokes the spirit of a place that offers patrons more than books. It offers all the opportunities, excitements, discoveries, and insights only human connections can forge.

How can the opening of New Main not be #1? It was the event that effectively transformed MPL from a neighborhood library into something like a regional attraction. We continue to believe that New Main is the largest single floor public library in the nation – ample space for the 3000+ people who attended the grand opening December 10th. It was chilly and damp that day, but nothing could rain on our parade. There were speeches, giveaways (including 18 eReaders), and judging by the looks on people’s faces, plenty of wow moments. Recalling the building’s wow features only gets us so far, though. What it comes down to is a question of impact and the sense that it’s simply too soon to tell how exactly MPL, from its new headquarters, will affect the McAllen community it so passionately serves. At the least, we predict its affect will be big and beautiful, like the building itself.

In 2011 MPL underwent a series of amazing changes, and this was the one that had the most immediate impact. It’s a piece of plastic but a piece of the library you carry around with you. When we unveiled the commemorative library card in August, we replaced a card that had been in use for nearly 30 years. And the new card swiftly became a memento in high demand. To date we’ve handed out over 7,500 commemorative cards – all for free. The card is a pre-made, limited edition print with a colorful rendering of the New Main Library. We issued it in August as both an improvement upon its predecessor and a temporary reminder of what was to come in December. The opening of New Main has passed, and we are preparing to produce a permanent new card in 2012. Still, nothing can diminish the symbolic importance of the commemorative library card as a bridge between the old and the new.