Friends of the Library Newsletter
February 2006
Friends of the Ocean Shores Library met on the 2nd Monday at 2PM on January 9, 2006 and the next meeting is 2nd Monday at 2PM on February 13, 2006. New member Pat Parker from Salt Lake City attended. She liked OS after staying in a motel and isn't bothered with liquid rain after feet of snow in Utah. She likes the Library and this is the first group she has joined since moving here. The new officers President Lee Miller, Vice President Marge Kik, Secretary Judy Stull presided at their first meeting after the November 2005 election. Acting Treasurer Linda Lewis gave an accounting of last year's finances and reported on the Certificates of Deposits coming due to be put into new CDs. There will be no treasurer after 1-31-06 to look after our large endowment and book sales for library expansion. This is going to be a problem. Hopefully a solution is out there.
The President announced that the Ocean Shores Friends of the Library is a support group designed to enhance the quality and quantity of library offerings to all the Institution's patrons. The President is willing to take calls on any issues at 360-289-XXXX or you may email comments to OS.Library.Friends@gmail.com anonymously or not and the emailings will be forwarded to the proper place. The best interest of Ocean Shores Library patrons is paramount and library space is needed for that purpose. A patron count of 49965 used the Library last year and 72997 items were circulated vs. 69631 in 2004. The President requested the membership come prepared with any and all ideas for fund raising at the next meeting. The Bylaws Committee is meeting on 1-25-2006 and will be working on changes for the members to vote on. Since it is difficult getting a good percentage of the some 134 members to attend the monthly meetings and finding officers, it was suggested that FOL meet every two months especially in the summer. A plant sale is being planned for May. Probably it will be after the Country Music Jam on May 6 and before Mother's day. The plant sale and book sale could be combined for May 14.
The book sales are still doing amazingly well for the winter. December book sales dipped to $181.85 but came right back in January to $341.99. The undaunted volunteers must have regained some enthusiasm from the new lights, ceiling, repaired leaks and new underpinnings in the shelves at the permit building book room. The Librarian had contacted the public works department after the volunteers reported possible damage to books from water leaks at the November meeting. This was a wise move to have been done before fortnights of continuous record setting rain days. In November sales were 269.80 from the permit center book room and 49.99 from the Library book cart. There is an overstock of political, religious and romance books and the Book Sales volunteers are looking for a way to remove some of them to make space for the incoming books. Supply and demand has lowered their prices to as low as $.10/book and there are two boxes of free books. There is never enough old west fiction. These are always requested and sell out quickly. Maybe the analogy to the wild days of early Ocean Shores' history has something to do with it.
A two-page City of Ocean Shores Citizen Survey was mailed to 400 randomly selected utility customers. These surveys were sent to residents and non-residents, homeowners and lot-owners. Completed surveys were obtained from 148 community residents, for a response rate of 37%.
Library services received "excellent" or "good" ratings by 80% of respondents. Thus Library services obtained a favorable rating of 71 on a 100-point scale. The Interpretive Center scored higher at 76. General government services received mediocre ratings from Ocean Shores' utility payers with the following scores: Financial services (58), Animal control (49), Utility Billing services (47), Building and Permitting services (45), Planning services (39).
A majority (55%) of those participating in the survey indicated they have never visited the City of Ocean Shores' web site (www.osgov.com). However, 35% indicated they have visited the site between 1 and 12 times. The details are available at http://www.osgov.com/hottopic.html
The literacy divide of the 20th century distinguished between people who could functionally read and those who could not. Democracy was certainly at stake, but to no small degree, so was commerce. The literate could consume the messages of content producers. Today, the divide has multiplied, because people with contemporary (digital/21st century) literacy skills not only consume content, but they are the content. Being literate means being part of the network. The difference is not merely the individual who can read and individual who can not. It's the difference between networked communities of power, and individuals who are cut off. This is a distinction too broad to ignore or postpone.
Ocean Shores Library has offered free wireless Internet access to patrons since 2004. Wireless access is provided in the Library's public areas during regular open hours. Here are the answers to some frequently asked questions about using wireless in the Library.
What is wireless? Wireless networking uses radio frequency signals to connect your computer to the Library's high speed internet access in order to access the Library's Internet connection.
Why wireless? Wireless networking allows library patrons to bring their own laptop computers to the library to access the Internet. Patrons can use their wireless laptop computers in most areas of the library. They are not restricted to the normal computer areas. Patrons with wireless laptops do not need to wait for an available library computer to access the Internet. Public wireless allows more computer and Internet access in the library, while saving the library the cost of buying additional computers.
What hardware do I need to use wireless at the library? The WiFi standard known as IEEE 802.11a/b/g is used. You will need to bring your own laptop computer to the library with built-in WiFi capability or a WiFi-compatible network card installed. Other portable wireless devices such as handheld computing devices and Internet enabled cell phones may also work. Most WiFi equipment should work but the library cannot guarantee that your equipment will be compatible with the library's wireless network.
What software do I need? You need a web browser such as Internet Explorer, Netscape, or Firefox.
You have to have up-to-date virus detection software and a firewall installed on your laptop for your own protection. Two good free ones on the net are AVG free edition and Zone alarm.
The staff is too busy to give expertise on this topic but it is a challenging and rewarding experience to learn this yourself. It's surprising how easy things can be with digital literacy and your brain will put those latent neurons back to work in a different task making things even more interesting.
If there are errors in your address telephone or email let us know at the following PO Box and corrections will be made. A future portal email for the Friends might make communications easier except for the non-computer users. There is still a place for snail mail.
If you want to join and participate in the very friendly Ocean Shores Library in 2006 just send back the following or drop in the FOL box at the Library;
Name:
Mailing Address: Telephone: Email:
Please make checks ($10.00/year) per person) out to Friends of the Library and mail to PO Box 669, Ocean Shores, WA 98569 or $100.00 for a lifetime membership.
