West Haven Public Library is launching a “Love My Library” campaign over the next year to help raise awareness about programs the library offers and to create a new connection to the community by expanding communication methods, officials said.
According to Library Director Colleen Bailie, the first part of the campaign will be a professional, impartial third-party assessment made of the library system through community-wide outreach.
“The City Council suggested and funded the assessment,” Bailie said. “We jointly put out a Request for Proposals.”
City Council members and the Village Improvement Association Board agreed upon hiring “ReThinking Libraries,” formerly Kimberly Bolan & Associates (KBA). ReThinking Libraries will be conducting the assessment over the next few months. ReThinking Libraries is a library consulting firm established in 2004 by Kimberly Bolan Cullin and Rob Cullin.
The firm has provided consulting services for hundreds of public, school, and academic libraries across the United States and abroad. It focuses on facilities planning and design new approaches in strategic planning, 21st century library services, children’s and teen services, marketing, technology, and customer service.
Bailie said that normally there would be face to face community gatherings and social interaction that is not possible at this time. Using different methods to connect and hear from all who can give critical input is our goal.
“We will be holding virtual meetings and telephone calls,” Bailie said. “We want to engage people who love our library and reach out to the segment of the community that thinks libraries are no longer necessary.”
Governed by the Village Improvement Association (VIA), one of the campaign’s goals is to meet basic funding levels for services to patrons that are not met due to funding cuts over the past five years.
“Five years ago, our funding was at $1.6 million,” explained President John Galvin. Today, our budget stands at $1.2 million.”
In FY20, the City of West Haven gave the library $1,496,000 to operate, while $1,210,000 was given for FY 21. Shortly after it became known that Bailie applied for and received a $132,000 PPP loan in April of 2020, the Council chose to cut the library’s budget for FY21 by an additional $100,000. Officials say the result is the library is unable to provide the hours and services that West Haven residents expect in a library in a city of this size. VIA officials point to the fact the library now stands is 0.7% of the total city budget, one of the smallest departments, yet is perennially cut the most during budget times.
“These cuts have consequences and the VIA will have to make some serious decisions in the next few months as a result,” Galvin said. “We are hoping the assessment will put us on a path so we are not looking at closing branches, possibly laying off staff or cutting services.”
The campaign seeks to keep the Louis Piantino Branch open at its current site or at least maintaining a library presence in the Allingtown section of West Haven.
“The loss of this branch is another blow to this part of the city,” Galvin said. “The city is in the process of selling this location to a private developer. The city has failed to hold a public hearing concerning the sale of this municipal property and what it plans to do for a library in this area.”
City Hall has offered the use of buildings to house the library in Allingtown, but has not committed to paying rent to the owner of the building. Without the city’s rent assistance, the library could not afford to be in any building, no matter how inexpensive due to low funding.
The “Love My Library” campaign will include monthly marketing themes in regards to the library and special kick-off campaigns such as Library Card Sign-up Month in September.
Throughout Covid the library has made available all of its online materials, library card sign ups, and librarian help over the phone, virtual programs and parking lot pickup. It was one of twenty-two CT libraries to be the first to open its doors to the returning public using the governor’s guidelines. Anyone interested in showing their support contact the library for a free “Love My Library” lawn sign or button, we find a way to get those items to you: dir@westhavenlibrary.org.