Anthony
Williams for Mayor

A Vision for the DC Public Library

Libraries: A Vital Community Resource for Families and Children

Public libraries are a vitally important part of any city. They should serve as a central gathering place for the community and a safe place for District residents of all ages to learn and grow. For many District neighborhoods, libraries are a main source of information. They are the central repository for community history and for information on programs and resources available to residents. In particular, the library, along with schools, should be on of the most important place for children to learn, expand their minds, and provide a foundation for their growth. Libraries must be a place where children feel comfortable; a place they want to go and read and learn. Libraries must also provide programs and exhibits that complement the education kids receive in school.

Additionally, libraries should be a place where mothers and fathers can spend time with their children. Thus, a library can and should be a place where interaction and bonding between parents and children take place. But this can only happen if we manage and invest in this important resource.

To date, the District has not sufficiently invested in its libraries and managed them as a viable public service. Their facilities are in bad condition; leaky roofs, broken chairs, inadequate lighting and broken elevators are commonplace. Their books and the technology are outdated. Furthermore, the District has not enhanced its own offerings by tapping the many information resources here in the nation's capital, such as the Library of Congress, the Smithsonian and area universities.

District residents have rated the service of the D.C. Library as one of the best agencies in the District government. However, we can do better. And as Mayor I commit to making our libraries some of the best in the world.

Libraries That We Deserve

For too long, District residents have had to settle for an inadequate end outdated library system. As Mayor, with direct authority over library's, I will implement a plan that improves library services and integrates the D.C. public libraries with other District educational services and Federal resources. In this way, our libraries will once again provide vital services for all the District's residents.

Williams’ Library Initiatives

Funding a Better Library

In order to fulfill the vision described above, the library will require additional resources and investments. Several options exist to help finance this plan. First, as CFO, our staff worked hard to identify the funds that will allow branch libraries to be open on Saturdays in Fiscal Year 1999. Second, legislation pending before Congress, which I drafted and advocated for as Chief Financial Officer, would allow the library system to hire a private fund-raiser. Once this legislation passes, the District should aggressively pursue private fund- raising with well-defined targets and performance measures. And with the additional funds, the libraries should be opened on Saturday and Sunday, and extended hours during the week

Raise Private Funds

Today, library systems across the nation raise dose to 10 percent of their budgets through private fundraising. Washington's library, located in the center of an information-based economy, has no fundraising program and raises less than 1 percent of its budget. Because the Williams campaign focuses on developing partnerships between government and the community to solve problems, we will focus aggressively on private fundraising for the library.

As CFO, I already took the first step in this direction by drafting legislation, pending before Congress, that will permit the library to engage in private fundraising to fund the expansion of hours and necessary service improvements. The legislation will take effect in Fiscal Year 1999.

The next step will be to augment the library's board, appointed by the Mayor, with individuals who not only help connect the library to the community but with those who can connect it to the resources necessary to delivery high quality services to District citizens.

I will assist the library in raising private dollars to be used for the following purposes, if supported by the community and Library Board:

In particular:

Provide Longer Hours

Through the hard work of the Library budget staff under the CFO, the Library was able to secure a budget increase in FY 1999 that will enable it to open regional libraries three nights each week and branch libraries two nights each week This is not enough: I believe District libraries must be open from 10 a.m. to 9pm Monday -Thursday, Friday and Saturday days, and Sunday afternoons and evenings. We will achieve this goal through adjustments in library shifts, the use of part time librarians to supplement full time staff (an information based economy, the DC area has more librarians per capita than any other region in the U.S.), private fund raising and adopt-a-library programs.

Improve the Atmosphere: The gray, institutional atmosphere of our public libraries are a turn-off. The popularity of new bookstores shows that books and information can not only serve as a resource and educational tool, but can also offer and opportunity for social interaction and exchange. Our public libraries need to take a page from the private sector and improve their aesthetic environments so people will seek them out as places for reading and learning. The libraries need to adopt a management philosophy that accommodates the needs and demands of its customers. As Mayor, Tony Williams will appoint a library board that responds to the needs of DC Citizens for modern libraries and customer-friendly library services.

Consider Innovative Ways to Support Libraries: While government must continue to support critical services, I believe that innovative partnerships must be developed with the non-profit and business community to support community services as well. As Mayor, I will develop innovative ways to support libraries that include:

• establishing adopt-a-library programs that encourage businesses to provide financial support to specific library branches;
• creating libraries of excellence where associations and libraries partner to create a Pharmaceutical Manufacturers Association sponsored library of excellence in sciences, a National Geographic sponsored library of excellence, or an Association of Embassies sponsored library of excellence in foreign language literature;
• partnering libraries with new economic development projects to use libraries to anchor commercial and residential developments our neighborhood corridors, providing a spur to local economies and ensuring rents from the developments support libraries in perpetuity;
• working with the Congress and President to ensure that librarians and preservationists at the Library of Congress and Smithsonian provide the finest technical expertise in preservation, cataloging and other library specialties to all of DC's libraries;
• expanding staffing opportunities at the libraries to provide for one and two year scholar-in-residence and artist-in-residence programs at the library that will expand its intellectual and cultural programs; and
• partnering with other libraries in Washington, including those at the Smithsonian and Library of Congress, to provide opportunities for high school students in Washington to take advantage of the unique research opportunities they have as Washington residents.

Create an Integrated Education System: The D.C. Public Libraries should be a key pillar of an integrated public education system with the D.C. Public Schools, the Department of Recreation and Parks, and the University of the District of Columbia. As Mayor, I will form an educational task force that includes the heads of each of these agencies to provide better and more comprehensive education and training to our citizens.

Invest in infrastructure: It is time to end the District government's long-standing practice of deferring maintenance on buildings to fund inefficient and sometime overstaffed departments. This tendency has left libraries and other facilities with a sorry backlog of necessary repairs that grow more expensive with each passing year. The libraries must have a comprehensive facilities assessment so infrastructure investments can be made where and when they're needed.

Make book purchasing a priority: The District's library shelves sag with outdated titles that do not reflect the city's diverse population. We need to devote our resources to updating our books and periodicals collections and obtaining books in a variety of languages to serve our ethnically diverse communities and neighborhoods.

Update technology: The Internet has become a powerful research tool requiring only minimal training. Our libraries should benefit from city-wide technology and information systems upgrades, including Internet access. To increase Internet availability for District citizens, the Williams administration will work with the private sector — especially the region's many technology companies — to wire our libraries for the 21st century.