1. Name of Library:
John F. Germany Public Library of the Hillsborough County Public Library Cooperative (HCPLC)
900 N. Ashley Dr.
Tampa, FL 33602
813.273.3652
2. Name of Librarian: Joe Stines, Director
3. Background of Librarian:
Mr. Stines has cared about public libraries since he was a kid, and can recall a special library field trip when he was a child in school himself. He volunteered in libraries when he was in high school, and worked in them thirty hours a week throughout the last two years of his undergraduate studies, gaining a children’s library background. He was going to become a history teacher, and in his undergraduate studies at East Carolina University, he double-majored in history and library science. Then he received a scholarship from the North Carolina Library Association toward a Master’s degree, so he pursued it at the University of Tennessee-Knoxville. He has always worked in public libraries, except for a five-year stint in a special library at the University of Tennessee-Knoxville’s Energy and Environment Research Center. Mr. Stine came to Florida in 1985 and saw a job advertisement, and the rest is history. He is a member of the American Library Association (ALA) and the Public Library Association (PLA). He is a past member of the National Association of Storytelling, has served on the board of the Florida Library Association (FLA), has been president of the Tampa Bay Library Consortium (TBLC), and has chaired numerous committees. He attempts to balance local action with national. However, one of his pet peeves is directors who are never in their library. He is a proud graduate of the Eckerd College Leadership Development Program (in which he was one of only five not-for-profit students), which he attended thanks to a scholarship from the Community Foundation of Tampa Bay. He has been on the board of the Tampa Educational Cable (TEC), working closely with the children’s board on projects. Mr. Stine encourages librarians to be on the board(s) of areas they’re working in. He does ongoing continuing education in leadership and management.
4. Library: The John F. Germany Public Library is a well-lit, comfortably air-conditioned, and spacious library of 140,000 square feet with a central downtown Tampa location, near popular attractions such as the Straz Center for Performing Arts, and the new Glazer Children’s Museum. It is the headquarters of the Tampa-Hillsborough County Public Library System (THPL). The multi-floor, multi-wing library houses an Internet Center with public access computers, a Teen Computer Lab, and a Kids Computer Lab. The library contains nearly a half-million volumes, and includes the Burgert Brothers Photographic Collection of almost 15,000 images, the Foundation Center Collection with information on corporate and government funding, the Genealogy Collection—one of the largest in the Southeastern United States, a Local History Collection with photographs and subjects specific to Tampa and the Florida region, and a Small Business Center with invaluable information for small businesses. Other features of the John F. Germany library include: free WiFi, public meeting rooms, public fax, photocopiers, a teen area, and assistive technology such as Jaws, Open Book, DragonSpeak, and Keys-U-See. The library also holds to a basic Code of Conduct for patrons, creating and maintaining a safe and secure environment for all. Events offered by the John F. Germany Public Library appeal to a variety of interests, and include computer and software classes such as Microsoft Word, Publisher, Powerpoint 2010, and formatting techniques; children’s activities; language instruction and practice such as Spanish and French; movie marathons; book sales; using eBooks and audiobooks with Overdrive; Japanese drumming; children’s yoga; and interactive Kung Fu movies. On the day of this visit, I observed abundant tables, chairs, and seating; a well-structured, safe environment with a Code of Conduct that included an “items must fit” box at the entryway; staff were visible, approachable, and centrally stationed; and the atmosphere was quiet, studious, and work-focused.
a. What type of library is it? It is a public library.
b. What type of community does it serve? What special information needs do they have? It serves the very diverse, evolving city of Tampa and its surrounding communities. It is an empowered, online, urban population. The community has pockets of special needs. For example, there are language needs such as in Egypt Lake (Central North Tampa), where much of the population is from South America. The library has had an important impact on developing language skills, such as when it created the Hillsborough County Literacy Council twenty-seven years ago with grants, which teaches English as a second language. The library has also created the “Cybermobile” whose big purpose is to go into Spanish speaking neighborhoods and provide orientation to computers and computer skills.
c. Is the library open to the public? If so, on what basis? Yes. See below (g) for library hours. Additionally, the genealogy collection is open to the general public - no library card required - during regular library hours, but materials are restricted to in-library use only. There are also computer labs, providing internet access to the public; a Friends of the Library Bookstore; fun and educational programs for children and adults throughout the year; and bestsellers, music, videos, books-on-tape, and much more for patrons of all ages. There is a librarian on staff at all times when open, providing support and assistance.
d. How many patrons are eligible for service? How many patrons are served? The percent of library cards to the population is 45%. This dropped from 50% a few years ago, mainly because the library closed its doors to reciprocal borrowing with surrounding counties because of monetary issues, as the library system was flooded with ILL requests when this program was operational. There is now a $100 fee to use this library system for patrons from another county.
e. To which governing body or to which official does the head of the library report? Mr. Stines reports to the deputy county administrator via regular e-mail communications, quarterly reports, and a blog which he created to keep her informed, as she covers many public interests, including fire departments for example. There is also a library board, created by state law and consisting of twelve appointed citizens, who oversee the budget and policies, and play a very powerful role in considering censorship cases.
f. What special services are offered to the patrons? The library offers a talking-book library for blind and handicapped patrons. This is state-mandated, funded through the Florida Department of Education, and housed out of the Jan Kaminis Platt Regional Library. The library also offers self-checkout for its patrons, and is getting ready to replace its computer system in eight to ten months. One of the most popular services of the library is electronic holds and ILLs. They’re looking to outsource the ILLs, as they are very costly and labor-intensive, and have increased every month over the last eight years. The library is also looking into “floating collections,” in which books are purchased and cataloged for the system, not a particular branch location. This system would have several benefits, including: reducing the labor involved in holds by half, refreshing the collection, giving a particular branch a book they don’t have, moving books to locations that use them rather than weed them, buying fewer copies, and being all around more efficient.
g. What hours is the library open? Library hours are Monday through Wednesday 10 am-9 pm, Thursday 10 am-8 pm, Friday 10 am-6 pm, Saturday 10 am-6 pm, and Sunday 12:30 pm-5 pm, with 24/7 book drop access. A library card also provides the holder with access to the Bookmobile and Cybermobile, and remote 24/7 access to the premium subscription databases at www.hcplc.org for free.
h. Describe the size and scope of the collection, including circulation statistics. County-wide, the library system contains a little over two million volumes. In 2010, they circulated ten million items, about 16% of which was electronic downloads. The most popular items were music, dowloadables, and e-books. Mr. Stines predicts that paperback books are in more danger than hardback books. He also notes that downloadable music is excellent in the sense that it can’t get stolen from the library, and can’t get broken or damaged, thus requiring expensive repairs or replacements. He sees the need to build the collections in both hard copy and electronic formats.
i. What is the size of the staff: Number of professional and support staff? What staff did you observe? What impression did you get of the staff? Were they businesslike, courteous, and friendly? The staff consists of 366 clerical personnel, paraprofessionals, and professionals. Of this number, approximately 110 are professional staff. On my visit, I observed a couple of staff manning the reference/information desk. They were very helpful, providing me with literature such as pamphlets and brochures of information about the library, and escorting me to the director’s office. I also observed clerical staff in the offices of the director, and likewise, they were courteous and friendly.
j. What technology is used? Lots of technology is used in the Germany library. For example, their internal house newsletter became a blog. Mr. Stines loves wikis, finding them useful for problem solving and getting new ideas on the table from the people who are actually doing it. Since 2008, the library has instituted an anonymous, electronic suggestion box, which has resulted in amazing feedback from the frontlines. The library utilizes MERLIN for its intranet. Work orders are executed electronically. Even the library’s policies and procedures are available on the intranet. The library is looking into having downloadable books for every hand-held device on the market. More and more classes are being offered at the Germany library in areas such as developing photography books, footnoting electronic sources, and e-government, a very popular service for patrons. E-government includes areas such as workman’s compensation, unemployment benefits, et cetera.
k. What type and level of visibility in social media (Facebook, Flickr, etc.) does the library have? HCPLC and the John F. Germany Public Library participate in all types of social media, including a social media presence on Facebook, and also offer a reference blog at http://hcplcreference.blogspot.com/.
l. Do you think you would like to work here? Itemize the plusses and minuses. I think I would like to work here. As a research hub and the headquarters of the Tampa-Hillsborough County Public Library System, I think the Germany library would be a dynamic work environment, and would provide me with challenges as well as abundant opportunities for professional growth. The ever-growing calendar of happenings and events at the library would provide endless opportunities for community outreach. It would be a place for implementation and action, characteristics that definitely ward off stagnation. I like that I would have to be flexible, and continually grow as a life-long learner and information professional.
5. What did you leave with? I was impressed with the Germany library’s genealogy collection, one of the largest in the Southeastern United States. I was intrigued by the concept of a “floating collection” and now have more questions about the logistics of such a practice, and although it sounds like a wonderful solution to many problems, I wonder about the counter arguments, if any, against it? Additionally, it was interesting to learn of the Cybermobile and its functions.
6. Reflections: I really enjoyed this experience, and was able to learn a great deal about the daily functions of a public library. The dynamics of working in this central, urban public library were enlightening. I appreciate the anecdotes Mr. Stines provided for illustrative purposes; they really provided clarity for me. The public library, as Director Stines states, reflects the entire culture of the community. When asked his favorite part of his job, Mr. Stines replied that people would tell you, “Joe loves books, but he loves people more.” If he can turn an angry patron into a laughing one, he’s happy. The heart of the library is bringing together people with the information they need and the means to get their information needs met consistently. The tasks are problem-solving, and the librarian/director is a people and information manager. My lasting impression is that it is a rewarding and important responsibility.
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