Your Call 040809 Why Do Recessions Bring People Back to Public Libraries?

What makes a good library? On the next Your Call we'll continue our series on Commons, by discussing what can transform a run-of-the-mill library into a multi-generational classroom, cultural center, job training site and neighborhood club house. Library card requests increased 27 percent in the last half of 2008 in San Francisco, 33% in Boston. Kern County Public library is checking out nearly 20% more books. By nearly every measure, as the economy has gone from worse to frightening, Americans are going back to the stacks. What do you want when you get there? Send us an email at feedback@yourcallradio.org or join us live at 11 am. What works about your neighborhood branch? It's Your Call with Sandip Roy and you.

Guests:
Anne Wintroub in San Francisco
Director of Communications and Advocacy for the Friends of the San Francisco Public Library

Dr. Ken Haycock, FCCT
Director of the School of Library and Information Science at San Jose State University, the largest accredited library and information science program in the world. He is a member of the council of The American Library Association and past president of the Association for Library and Information Science Education.

Click to Listen: Why Do Recessions Bring People Back to Public Libraries?