In an increasingly technology-centric world, the relevance of the physical book and libraries has been called into question.
However, Erin Busbea, director for the Columbus-Lowndes Library System, told Columbus Exchange Club on Thursday at Lion Hills the library is adapting with the times. The system saw more than 73,000 people check out more than 115,000 items at its four locations in Columbus, Caledonia, Artesia and Crawford in 2022.
“Libraries have definitely changed, and that’s a question I get very often, ‘Why and how is the library relevant today? Why do we still need libraries?’” Busbea said. “We still need libraries because there is still a population of people that aren’t as fortunate as some of us, and they don’t have access to the internet. The internet is a huge thing that has people coming in daily. We’re still checking out books, still doing programming, but a big thing we’re doing is providing computers and internet access.”
Busbea said there were about 217,000 internet sessions last year, and that usage includes people who come to the library and use the computers, people who use the Wi-Fi outside the library in the parking lot and people who use the library’s Wi-Fi on their phones when they come in.
In addition to having computers available to those with a free library card, there are other non-traditional resources such as a virtual reality Oculus headset, a 3-D printer, a laser cutter and a cricut cutting machine.
“We recently did our teen area upstairs (at the downtown Columbus location), and we added in a virtual reality Oculus,” Busbea said. “If you come in, there’s a teenager that comes in almost every day after school, does his homework, and he really loves to play on the Oculus. You’ll see he’ll have it across his eyes, and he can’t see anybody else around him. He’s got it on, moving around, talking to whoever because you can hear other people playing on the same session. … It’s not just for teens, even though it’s in our teen area. We do allow adults to use them.”
The library still offers traditional services like checking out books and fielding general questions every day from callers. There is also a history and archives department that has legal records dating back to the 1800s.
There are also apps used to read books on a phone or other smart device.
Monthly programming for children, teens and adults ranges from story time, to manga and anime club, to book club at The Princess.
Busbea said the purpose of the events is to help build community among like-minded people.
“There’s a group that meets at Caledonia (Public Library) called Coffee and Crafting,” Busbea said. “Sometimes we’ll take things for them to work on, and other times they’ll bring their own things they’re wanting to work on, whether that be cross-stitch, knitting, painting. We provide the coffee and the little cookies, and they just sit there for about an hour and a half interacting with each other. That’s the big thing — building community where you can meet in a common space and enjoy the company with the people also in the community with you.”
The library’s annual operating budget is around $850,000, and it is funded largely by the city, county and state governments, Busbea said.
The city provides $300,000 to the library, and the county provides about $375,000. The state provides roughly $65,000, which goes toward employee insurance benefits and retirement match. The library also applies for grants and additional funding and receives donations.
While the government funding goes toward operating costs, funding for the system’s programs is paid for by the funds raised by Friends of the Columbus Lowndes Public Library. Last year, the organization donated $34,000 to the library to help pay for programs such as Mother Goose’s Valentine’s Day tea party and the summer children’s programs with special guests like a magician and petting zoos, Busbea said.
To celebrate 50 years in the downtown Columbus building, the Friends group is paying for a new circulation desk.
“Our building will be 50 years old in May,” Busbea said. “Prior to that, if you know where the library is downtown, there’s a little white building that kind of sits in the back of the parking lot. That was the library before the library is where it is today. … (The current library) is a beautiful building, but our circulation desk has definitely withstood the test of time, and it’s time for us to upgrade.”
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