14
Annette Hester Hoffman
Mobile Outreach: From Valley to Mountain for
The Hood River County Library in Hood River, Oregon
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
The Hood River County Library, located in Hood River, Oregon, proposes to create a volunteer based outreach program designed to connect the homebound and disabled population with library services. Hood River County is a rural county where public transportation is negligible, the majority of households contain a single vehicle and where geographic isolation are major obstacles for this population to receive services. Additionally, 13 % of the population is disabled and of that population 23% live in poverty defined as an annual income of less than $58,236 for a family of four (Oregon Housing & Community Services Report, 2008). The proposed program will include the purchase of a mobile electronic library that enhances traditional bookmobile functions with inclusion of eight laptop workstations and an internet server as well as funds to recruit and train volunteers to staff the program. This will not only enable the homebound and disabled the benefit of library resources and connection with resources available from the internet, but can also be used to target other at need groups within the area such as the sizeable migrant worker population. The library seeks one year funding of $314,250.00 from July 1, 2011 to June 30, 2012, for this project.
SETTING
The Hood River County Library Community:
The Hood River County Library (HRCL) is a striking, red brick building that sits on a hill overlooking the Columbia River in Hood River, Oregon, and has been a source of pride in the community since its creation as a result of the Women’s Club receiving a Carnegie Grant in 1912. For over 95 years it has served the county’s now nearly 20,500 residents. Located in the Columbia River Gorge region of northwestern Oregon, Hood River’s traditional employment base includes timber and fruit production due to the fertile volcanic soil from nearby Mount Hood. Recently however, due it the strong winds that blow steadily through the Columbia River Gorge, Hood River has become internationally recognized for the sport of windsurfing. This has led to an infusion of white collar residents whom have relocated there for windsurfing in the summer months and winters spent skiing at picturesque Mount Hood. The library implements programs throughout the year designed to stimulate and challenge the intellectual lives of all our patrons as well as to entertain and enhance the opportunities of the adults and children who reside here or enjoy the local hospitality. Hood River County also offers other sources of enrichment and educational opportunities through the Hood River County Historical Museum, the Western Antique Aeroplane and Automobile Museum, the International Museum of International Carousel Art and the Fruit Heritage Museum.
Library Mission and Programs:
The mission statement of the Hood River County Library is embraced and reflected in the actions and decisions of our staff and trustees:
"The Hood River County Library’s mission is to promote and celebrate cultural literacy for all members of the community by offering a wide variety of materials and programs. It is dedicated to provide practical access to all forms of media and to support a lifelong enjoyment of reading and learning by partnering with other community organizations."
As a cultural mainstay in the community the library hosts a number of diverse activities such as partnering with local book stores to feature area artists, our annual Cinco de Mayo celebration that highlights our Spanish language collection and our annual Cowboy Poetry Weekend that features Northwest poets. Additionally, the HRCL offers computer classes, partners with local students to offer tutoring services and has a child literacy program.
Library Facilities:
The Hood River County Library was founded in 1912 and in addition to the main building in Hood River, branches were also created in the more remote locations of Cascade Locks and Parkdale. Both branches are approximately 20 miles from the main branch and neither of which is accessible to wheelchairs. After five years of fund-raising efforts by the community and bond measure approval, in 2002 a $2.39 million renovation and expansion of the main library in Hood River occurred creating disability access and increasing the size of the library from 7,000 square feet to 21,000 square feet.
The HRCL has an annual circulation of 120,000 items per year and a collection containing over 64,000 volumes comprised of both adult and children’s titles. Additionally in the collection are more than 1,800 videos, music CDs and books-on-CDs. Also located within the HRCL is a study area with six computer stations with internet access, children’s story room, two meeting rooms and reading area with current newspapers and periodicals. The Hudson Historical Room was added during the expansion and features books on local history as well as a Native American collection.
Another change after the expansion in 2002 allowed the HRCL to become accessible to persons with disabilities was to institute an American with Disabilities Act (ADA) Circulation Program that would allow patrons who have a long-term disability to extend their check-out period from three weeks to five weeks. We have also increased our large print holdings by 10% and our book-on-CD collection by 7% in an effort to increase accessibility to persons with visual challenges.
Library Staff:
The library staff of seven includes: two full-time professional librarians and five part-time staff. The positions of Library Director and Assistant Library Director are filled by the full time professionals. The part-time staff includes Children’s/Youth Services Librarian, Reference/Outreach Librarian, Technical Services Specialist, Library Assistant/Clerk and maintenance employees. In addition, HRCL has a long tradition of dedicated volunteers and there are several who along with staff have all have had training on communication skills focused with ADA guidelines. Finally, the HRCL benefits from the Board of Trustees which consists of ten conscientious and passionate members of the community
STATEMENT OF NEED
Overall rural communities such as Hood River County have unique needs from urban communities such as decreasing populations, geographic isolation and a growing elderly citizenry (Buchanan, 2008, p.38). Geographic isolation comes in many forms for those residing in Hood River County including the in ability to obtain internet connectivity, remote living locations, seasonal flooding and snow and the fact that most homes have only one vehicle (Oregon Housing & Community Services Poverty Report, 2008). Those living in rural areas have population dispersal so great that major use of a main library is difficult (Boyce, 2000, p.50). The homebound and disabled population in Hood River County is particularly vulnerable to the hardships of geographical isolation. The majority of individuals with disabilities residing in Hood River County are non-institutionalized and have a range of disabilities including: sensory, physical, mental, self-care and an inability to leave home. In addition to these individuals there are nearly 200 individuals living in nursing/group homes. A reported 13% of the entire population is disabled and of that group, 23% lives in poverty (Oregon Housing & Community Services Poverty Report, 2008). A recent study of library services and rural populations found that the quality of life of those in rural areas is shaped by the accessibility of these services and that in today’s information age traditional bookmobile services are not enough (Benstead, 2004, p. 400). The low-income in rural communities have the lowest rates of Internet connectivity and as a result have become “electronically disadvantaged” (Boyce, 2000, p.50).
Not only do the homebound and disabled in Hood River County face economic challenges and geographic isolation, but they often suffer social exclusion. Social exclusion is defined as an interconnected group of difficulties such as: unemployment, substandard skills, reduced incomes and discrimination. Once the cycle of social exclusion begins it is difficult to break and the pattern is often repeated from generation to generation (Gehner, 2010, p.44).
Despite the efforts of the HRCL on behalf of those with disabilities and the homebound, including the ADA Circulation Program instituted to allow those with disabilities to keep library items for a longer period of time and an increase of both large print books and books-on-CD, the HRCL has seen little increase of use for these resources. This has been a particularly difficult demographic to reach. A survey conducted by HRCL of 125 patrons in 2008 indicated that 75% of those responding as having a disability found the library too difficult to reach. A recent study regarding library services and those with handicaps concluded that libraries provide “passive” access designed for existing users rather than outreach programs that make libraries open to all patrons (Aust, 2003, p.87).
PROPOSED PROGRAM
" The introduction of many minds into many fields of learning along a broad spectrum keeps alive questions about the accessibility, if not the unity, of knowledge."
(Levi, n.d.)
The Hood River County Library proposes to create a volunteer based outreach program “From Valley to Mountain” designed to connect the homebound and disabled population of Hood River County with library services. Our goal is to connect and serve the homebound and disabled populations in long-term care facilities, home-based care facilities and those who reside outside of traditional care settings throughout Hood River County. The proposed program will include the purchase and maintenance of a mobile electronic library, or cybermobile that enhances traditional bookmobile functions with inclusion of eight laptop workstations and an internet server as well as funds to recruit and train volunteers to staff the program. This will not only enable the homebound and disabled the benefit of library resources and connection with resources available from the internet and help to break the cycle of social exclusion in successive generations, but can also be used to target other at need groups within the area such as the sizeable migrant worker population and single-parent families below the poverty level (Oregon Housing & Community Services Poverty Report, 2008).
Materials Needed:
The critical piece of equipment is the actual delivery vehicle that will bring library services such as electronic information, Internet, books both in print and CD, videos and computers to the homebound and disabled. This cybermobile is designed with eight computer workstations and a handicap accessibility lift. All power needed comes from a generator or it can be supplied by an electrical plug-in from the destination site. It also features a wireless or phone line connection for flexibility to connect to the Internet. In addition, the HRCL will add to its current collection of large-print books, books-on-CD and videos to provide further enrichment and selection for those patrons served by the “Valley to Mountain” program.
Program Staff:
The HRCL Director and Assistant Director will coordinate with the Reference/Outreach Librarian to begin the volunteer recruitment and training process. Due to their dedication to the “Valley to Mountain” project all HRCL staff has agreed to donate any time spent planning and implementing it. Volunteers will perform the majority of duties involved in the program after the first six months.
Abigail Snodgrass, the Reference/Outreach Librarian, has been a member of HRCL’s staff for ten years and has returned to the home of her youth to enjoy a partial retirement. Mrs. Snodgrass was instrumental in obtaining local support and funding for the library’s expansion project. Mrs. Snodgrass has a MLS from Drexel University. Mrs. Snodgrass will invest approximately 75% of her time on the project in the first two months and 25% of her time thereafter.
Bob Smyth, the Technical Services Specialist, has been a member of the HRCL staff for 10 years. Mr. Smyth will create a page in the HRCL’s existing webpage that will provide the Bookmobile’s Schedule so that those with Internet service will know when and where the bookmobile will arrive in their area. Initial creation of the webpage will use 50 % of the Technical Services Specialist’s time for the first month. Maintenance of the webpage will involve a nominal portion of Mr. Smyth’s time.
Penelope Hopper, the Assistant Director, has been a member of HRCL’s staff for 25 years. Mrs. Hopper was instrumental in creating the HRCL’s Persons with Disabilities Policy and the ADA Circulation Program. It is estimated that she will initially devote 20% of her time on the project in the first two months and 5% thereafter.
Lola Hossenfeffer, the Director, has been a part of HRCL’s staff for 7 years. Ms. Hossenfeffer has represented rural libraries in the Oregon Library Association’s, Public Library Division and earned her MLS from Rutgers University. Within the first two months it is estimated that she will initially spend 20% of her time on the project, including providing financial oversight, and 5% thereafter.
Planning and Implementation:
The initial period to enlist volunteers will be a month long and volunteers will agree to volunteer at least one hour a week. The cybermobile will operate three days a week: Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday. Volunteers will be sought from local organizations such as: Veterans of Foreign Wars, Elks, Lions, local high schools for both community service project and library career opportunity, local businesses who have employee groups and retirement groups (Buchanan, 2008, p.43).
Once the initial volunteer base is solidified a part-time three week training period will begin. A similar outreach program to homebound persons with AIDS had great success in partnering with existing local agencies for training (Mahony, 1995, p.12). This partnership model will be mirrored and in addition to a weeklong course in basic library skills, management skills and the mechanics of the program instructed by HRCL library staff. The following week they will also receive basic instruction on working with persons with disabilities from a local nursing home and the final week basic driving instructions for the bookmobile from a local school bus driver. In addition, the HRCL has agreed to disseminate its experiences, knowledge and training with other area libraries who share their same challenges of geographic isolation, poverty and social exclusion.
Program Evaluation:
· 6 months after services begin a questionnaire will be provided to those served. It will provide feedback regarding their level of library use before the program’s implementation, feedback regarding the program and suggestions for improvement.