New Times / 5 Questions

Brian Reynolds, Director

NEW TIMES: Has the library acquired anything new?

REYNOLDS: Well, we have a new service, called Book Club in a Box. We buy certain titles, around ten to 12 books and allow book clubs to read and discuss them. We also have Tumble Books, which is a service that allows kids to have eBooks read to them online.

NEW TIMES: Are there any new subscriptions to periodicals this year?

REYNOLDS: No, we’ve had to cut back on new subscriptions within our selection of periodicals because of our budget.

NEW TIMES: Has there been an increase in traffic lately?

REYNOLDS: The San Luis Obispo County Library is the busiest yet in terms of people who circulate through here. We’re up ten percent for new library card holders, our circulation is up 27 percent, and our downloadable content has increased by 25 percent, based on our counts from Nov. 2008 to Nov. 2009.

NEW TIMES: What about an increase in Internet use?

REYNOLDS: We have a dozen Internet terminals: From the time our library opens until it closes people are using them all. We also provide Wi-Fi, so people throughout the library can be online, including people who use it outside when we’re closed.

NEW TIMES: Will the library host any events soon?

REYNOLDS: Currently, we have a film-noir series, which takes place on the second Wednesday of each month. We just had Story Time with a bilingual audience and speakers for the kids. We are planning to host free career workshops and life-time learning gatherings. ∆