I think that we can keep the discussion on Hasafran. Amalia
Sent from my iPad > On Jun 1, 2015, at 2:36 PM, Emily Goldberg <exgoldb...@gmail.com> wrote: > > Have any synagogue libraries moved to ebooks and if so, what has been the > response? > > Emily Goldberg > exgoldb...@gmail.com > >> On Monday, June 1, 2015, Ann Abrams <aabr...@tisrael.org> wrote: >> Thank you, Lisa, for this very thoughtful and insightful post. The sentence >> I find the most thought provoking is: >> >> >> >> >> >> FROM LISA: >> >> Synagogues clearly need to save money and move forward with the things that >> engage the most members and cut funding from things that don’t. Period. >> Sentiment is not a reason to pour money into old models of synagogue >> engagement. The problem for libraries is that the decision-makers are not >> seeing beyond the old model and are not offering funding for librarians to >> create new models. >> >> >> >> >> >> FROM ANN: >> >> I’m wondering if there are synagogue librarians who have created new models, >> that are doing WELL, and that have the enthusiastic support of your >> institutions; and, that you’d be willing to share with the rest of us? >> I’d be happy to serve as central station to collect your narratives, as >> perhaps it’s not necessary to inform all of AJL/Hasafran about what >> synagogue libraries are doing, but I would share them with all SSC members, >> or anyone else who’s interested. >> >> >> >> But, my main point is, are there any GOOD stories out there? >> >> >> >> >> >> Maybe we can cause something constructive to come out of these terrible >> occurrences. >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> From: Hasafran [mailto:hasafran-bounces+aabrams=tisrael....@lists.osu.edu] >> On Behalf Of Lisa Silverman >> Sent: Wednesday, May 27, 2015 7:58 PM >> To: hasaf...@lists.acs.ohio-state.edu >> Subject: Re: [ha-Safran] Library position eliminated >> >> >> >> >> >> Excuse the long post, but I would like to weigh in to this discussion >> because of the similar changes going on here at Sinai Temple, which mirror >> what is happening everywhere. In our case, 100 letters from people outside >> our organization, especially if they had come from different cities, would >> have been an interesting social experiment, but would not have changed a >> thing. >> >> >> >> A year ago, our temple board decided that due to economic reasons beyond >> their control, they decided to remove all funding for the library. It was >> explained to me that due to the recession there had been a severe downturn >> in donations, and, along with our major building upgrade and renovations, >> the temple was in the fiscal red. Our professional staff of 4.5 employees >> was cut to…zero. The library and its needs, budget, and staffing, was >> handed over to the Pre-K-8 day school, because it was common knowledge that >> the majority of patrons were day school students, staff, and parents. The >> day school had only enough money to offer two positions to librarians and I >> was retained as the day school librarian and another school librarian was >> hired as associate. With my knowledge of adult sources, I was encouraged to >> still help the synagogue patrons, when or if they continued to come in. >> >> >> >> All adult programming was cut because I am now working for the school and do >> programming solely related to school needs, which are considerable. (I made >> the personal choice to continue with my evening adult book group because >> this group has been meeting regularly for 15 years, even though the temple >> did not pay me for it. It was suggested that I charge for attendance at >> this group, which I rejected as absurd.) We are now in the process of >> reducing our adult collection considerably, and moving these items to the >> soon-to-open Sperber Jewish Community Library of Los Angeles, which is now >> part of American Jewish University. I have been serving as consultant for >> them, and will begin working there next year as the community librarian. Our >> adult collection here will still be accessible to all patrons, although it >> will be run by the school librarian and not kept up by a professional Judaic >> librarian. >> >> >> >> Since working as Sinai Akiba Academy school librarian this year, no longer >> as the temple librarian, I have come away with some observations I would >> like to share: >> >> >> >> 1. Synagogues clearly need to save money and move forward with the >> things that engage the most members and cut funding from things that don’t. >> Period. Sentiment is not a reason to pour money into old models of synagogue >> engagement. The problem for libraries is that the decision-makers are not >> seeing beyond the old model and are not offering funding for librarians to >> create new models. >> >> 2. Protesting to the powers that be does not work when boards have >> already made difficult decisions. If a library is a beloved part of an >> institution, board members do not make these decisions lightly, but when >> they do, they are rarely swayed to change their minds because by that time >> they have heard all the sides they are going to hear and have thought it all >> through. (We had many letters written in opposition, and members spoke their >> minds at meetings—the decision to close library funding stuck.) >> >> 3. Our school/student/parent engagement has gone up this year and we >> keep quite busy. These people are also members of our temple, which should >> be noted. The authors/literary and film programming is now the >> responsibility of the programming department. Those people who are missing >> out on what used to be are the mostly older, retired, literary minded folk >> who liked to come into the library for such things. Hopefully, they have >> been absorbed by other programming of the temple, but if not, it seems their >> numbers are not significant for the board to reinstate funding. >> >> >> >> This library will still be run well after I leave next year, but it will no >> longer be a leader among synagogue libraries and the go-to catalog for >> Elazar system users. Adult patrons will still be served, but eventually it >> will turn into a fine school library, and the people of Los Angeles will >> turn to the Jewish Community Library at AJU for Jewish-themed books, book >> and film clubs, literary events and programs. >> >> >> >> >> >> <image001.jpg> >> >> LISA SILVERMAN LIBRARY DIRECTOR, SINAI TEMPLE BLUMENTHAL LIBRARY >> >> 10400 WILSHIRE BOULEVARD, LOS ANGELES, CA 90024 >> >> 310-481-3215 (direct) 310-481-3218 (main) library.sinaitemple.org >> > __ > Messages and opinions expressed on Hasafran are those of the individual author > and are not necessarily endorsed by the Association of Jewish Libraries (AJL) > ================================== > Submissions for Ha-Safran, send to: > hasaf...@lists.service.ohio-state.edu > To join Ha-Safran, update or change your subscription, etc. - click here: > https://lists.service.ohio-state.edu/mailman/listinfo/hasafran > Questions, problems, complaints, compliments send to: galro...@osu.edu > Ha-Safran Archives: > Current: > http://www.mail-archive.com/hasafran%40lists.service.ohio-state.edu/maillist.html > Earlier Listserver: > http://www.mail-archive.com/hasafran%40lists.acs.ohio-state.edu/maillist.html > AJL HomePage http://www.JewishLibraries.org > -- > Hasafran mailing list > Hasafran@lists.osu.edu > https://lists.osu.edu/mailman/listinfo/hasafran
__ Messages and opinions expressed on Hasafran are those of the individual author and are not necessarily endorsed by the Association of Jewish Libraries (AJL) ================================== Submissions for Ha-Safran, send to: hasaf...@lists.service.ohio-state.edu To join Ha-Safran, update or change your subscription, etc. - click here: https://lists.service.ohio-state.edu/mailman/listinfo/hasafran Questions, problems, complaints, compliments send to: galro...@osu.edu Ha-Safran Archives: Current: http://www.mail-archive.com/hasafran%40lists.service.ohio-state.edu/maillist.html Earlier Listserver: http://www.mail-archive.com/hasafran%40lists.acs.ohio-state.edu/maillist.html AJL HomePage http://www.JewishLibraries.org -- Hasafran mailing list Hasafran@lists.osu.edu https://lists.osu.edu/mailman/listinfo/hasafran
