'Next It Could Be Cable'

So far, we've seen stories about consumers cutting back on spending for cars, boats and other durable goods, as well as less expensive discretionary items like vacations and meals at casual dining restaurants.

Well, it looks like at least some people have found a way to make the most of an economic environment that keeps going from bad to worse. According to the following report from Florida's Naples News, "Economy Fueling Patron Increases at Local Libraries," they are finding what they need at a place that some viewed as a dinosaur in the digital age.

Library cards don’t cost $4 a gallon.

Southwest Floridians struggling to make ends meet are driving to area libraries. They’re filling their intellectual tanks and keeping their children entertained on the cheap.

As Tara Andalman, 38, stepped out of her mini-van on Monday afternoon outside the branch library in Bonita Springs, cars were doing circles around her.

More than a dozen library patrons were coming or going every 15 minutes as Andalman unloaded four children, all in elementary school. Two of the kids were hers, the others friends. Clearly, it was time for distractions.

After cutting movie rentals from the family budget earlier this year, Andalman said she has had no problem finding free alternatives.

“The library has pretty much all the movies, books and audio tapes we need,” Andalman said, adding that camps have also been cut from the budget. “Next it could be cable.”

The situation in Bonita isn’t much different than in Collier County, spokeswoman Camden Smith said. At libraries across the county, the majority of the items checked out are DVDs.

“Several of our library branches have reported customers checking out DVDs have stated that they just can’t afford to rent,” Smith said, adding that she herself spent $15 over the weekend on rentals. “That’s an astronomical cost for them on a monthly basis ... the libraries are saving them money.”

In Lee County, library officials are estimating about 600,000 more items will be checked out this year than last, a 17.5 percent increase.

“That’s huge,” Executive Director Sheldon Kaye said. “Well, last year we were up about 13 percent. The year before? About 10. Normally, if a library were up about 5 or 6 percent, that would be very good. So these figures are fairly unprecedented.”

The increase in circulation has come at a time when difficulties in the real estate and construction industries have forced many area families to pack up and leave the state for work elsewhere. The Lee County School District lost about 2,100 students during the course of the last school year, which it attributed to the economy-fueled exodus.

But it’s not just those struggling to survive who are trying to save money.

“No matter how much money you’re making right now, everyone’s concerned with the economy,” Smith said.

Andalman’s husband is in construction, but he works on commercial structures, an area of the industry that has kept moving despite the recession. She said her job as a pre-school teacher is secure, but said increases in bills, insurance and taxes have all made things more difficult.

Sixteen-year Bonita resident Barbara Couch, 49, is looking for work.

“I guess economically we’re all trying to save money,” Couch said.

As she approached the Bonita branch, Couch had a half-dozen movies in her hand — “Oceans 13” and “Indian” were among the titles.

“It’s never been that packed off-season,” Couch said of the library’s business. “The library’s one of those free things in life.”

Despite the increase in library traffic, Kaye said the libraries are keeping up with demand. Lee County’s libraries recently had self-checkout machines installed.

“One of the other things that coincided with this increase in use, we have quite a number of positions open,” Kaye said. So our staff is stretched pretty thinly. Even though we are experiencing an increase in use, those machines are helping us keep up.”

Bonita resident Fred Hand, 80, also noted an increase in activity. Being retired didn’t keep him from hauling out a shopping-bag full of books from the Bonita branch, just like he always has.

Even for Hand, though, the economy has had an effect. The books may be free, he said, but the problem is getting there.

“You don’t want to drive with the gas prices,” Hand said. “So you read more.”

Comments

[Todd]

Of course, since most young Americans are barely functionally literate by international standards. And INSULT each other by suggesting another "reads for fun", its going to really smack them hard when electricity for DVD playing gets irregular/unfordable and they have to READ! I imagine at that point we'll just start slaughtering each other instead.

[roger]

Wishful thinking:Just as Darwin dethroned humanity from the center of creation the present day financial Armageddon will hopefully radically change the Mickey Mouse theories of present day economics & a true understanding of the metamorphosis that take place in the every day exchange of money commodities money and the dire consequences, I am not holding my breath do!

[Martin]

Do I understand correctly that the majority of the people mentioned in this article used their library to borrow DVD's, but not books? I'm not quite sure whether that should be seen as "filling their intellectual tanks"...

[dukeb]

The first time I read your book, Mike, it was checked out through my library & hot off the press. The two were not unrelated, either. I had just recently gotten a new library card after about 20+ years without one. And the reason was to cancel cable, cancel BlockBuster, live smart & thrifty and investigate the socio-economic shift I felt was underfoot. Funny thing happened, I rediscovered the *joy* of libraries, too. In fact, my wife spent this past Saturday afternoon at the library listening to a famous author's reading and participating in the Q&A....and also enjoying some great fare courtesy of the library's cooking club. One other thing I've noticed now that I'm at the library several times every week: The only conversations I've overheard for the past 6 or so months (during weekdays) have been between people supporting each other in their search for jobs, to brush up on their career skills, and to figure out how to print their resumes from the library computers. No kidding. And outside the library? Almost always something sitting on the bench, talking on a cell phone, following up on job prospects. It was NOT remotely like that when I first stepped foot back there those few years ago.

[Rocky]

As inflation worsens, the library will become a much more popular place. I actually borrow more DVDs than books from my local branch and I can walk to it. It's also a good source for newspapers such as the Wall St. Journal and Barron's, which are not free online. I canceled my cable some six months ago and the sky has not fallen. In a few months, we will see just how recession proof the cable business is. Maybe the cable industry will change its tune on a la carte pricing. I am no longer willing to pay for stations I have no interest in watching.

[PDamian]

As an academic librarian (17+ years) who has worked most of her life in large research libraries with significant community patron clienteles, all I can say is: no kidding? Libraries and librarians have been around in this country since before the Constitution was signed, beginning with the Boston Public Library in 1636 -- and many of the earliest public library systems in this country were founded as a means of providing young men with cheap access to an education and vocational training. Andrew Carnegie gave the funds for thousands of libraries in this country, Canada and Scotland so that the citizenry might have a means of self-improvement and enlightenment.

I've read memoirs of public librarians telling of men and women crowding the public libraries during the Great Depression, looking for ideas for starting small businesses, and stories of women in cities during WWI and II asking librarians for books on sewing, gardening, and housekeeping -- anything that would help stretch a buck during hard times. Many a Victory garden in this country was planted with assistance from a book from the public library, and many a car repaired and a dress sewn with knowledge gleaned from a good reference collection.

Now the country is in a jam again, and suddenly libraries are public assets and benefactors. I just hope y'all will remember this once the economy improves and the library boards come begging for funds to improve the collections, maintain the physical plant, and pay the librarians.

[Tim]

I'm a real bad boy. I check out the latest books on Amazon but then switch to my local library website to order them. If you're a reader its nuts not to be a library member....good times or bad.

[Wall Street Weather]

For the last month I've noticed a pickup in traffic at my local library and an increase in the number of people applying for library cards. I did not believe for one minute that there was a sudden surge of new residents in the community. Your post has confirmed that. Deborah