LIFELONG LEARNING

Needs Addressed by this Service Response

The Henderson County Library helps address the desire of the adult population for self-directed personal growth and development and the needs for pre-school children to prepare for formal education.

What the Library Does and Provides

The Library allocates a significant percentage of its budget to provide written, non-print, and electronic resources to meet the needs of these groups. The primary adult service population served consists of retirees who have moved to this part of the state. They are well educated and relatively affluent. Their need is for information on a wide variety of topics. Everything from how-to materials, to travel information, to medical information. The children's population served is similar to that in other counties. The staff has a broad subject background to facilitate helping others in the use of materials. The library also offers a wide variety of informational programs of interest to adults and many pre-school programs.

Brief Description of Library and Service Population

The Henderson County Library has sserved residents of the county since 1914. The main library is located in Hendersonville with four branches in other parts of the county. The total population served is 80,000. The Library staff totals 32.5 positions with 9 librarians. The population is ten years older than the state average population due to the high numbers of retirees who move to this area.

Community Need Addressed by Lifelong Learning Service Response

Because of the number of retirees with the means and interest to have an active retirement, this population makes heavy use of its library for a variety of informational needs. The Henderson County Library has the highest per capita door count for any county library in North America. In addition to the children of the native population, the retiree population has attracted a number of younger professional workers to service its needs. Their children also use the library in significant numbers.

Service Objective

The Library seeks to provide th means of continuing education for adults and pre-school children.

Description of Services and Activities

• Selecting, acquiring, and organizing a collection of materials to meet the informational needs of the adult population

• Selecting, acquiring, and organizing a collection of materials that will help pre-school children prepare for school

• Providing pre-school and adult programs of informational interest

• Providing computer and Internet access

• Acquiring supplemental information from other libraries or organizations

• Assisting patrons in their use of the library

• Conducting orientation programs to the public individually and in groups

• Making services known to groups and individuals in the community

Resources Allocated to Service

The reference department composed of six staff members is primarily responsible for this service response in the adult population. The children's library staff of three is responsible for service to pre-school and early school age children. Large collections of adult non-fiction, easy books, and audiovisual materials are available as are a number of personal computers for public use.

Community Collaborations

The Library relies on a number of organizations and individuals to support its programming. The Friends of the Library provides ten public programs each year and several thousands of dollars to support the Summer Reading Program. The Community Foundation provides annual grants to give special support to collection areas from library funds managed by the Foundation. In addition, a number of commmunity organizations with fewer formal ties provide informational programs on an as needed basis.

Funding and Support Resources

Funding for the Library is primarily a county responsibility. The annual library budget amounts to approximately 3 cents on the tax levy. Other funds include State Aid, Community Foundation, and Friends of the LIbrary. Funding for Lifelong Learning is a normal part of the library budget and is supplemented by these other organizations.

Service Measures/Recent Outcomes

Conventional service measures include door counts, reference transactions, program attendance, and materials circulation. It is the goal of the library to achieve and maintain a ranking in the top ten in per capita rankings for each service area among North Carolina county libraries.