Sagaas 1 RUNNING HEAD: Advantages and Disadvantages of Alternative Funding For Public Library The Loss of Democracy or the Acquirement of Improved Public Service? Advantages and Disadvantages of Alternative Funding For Public Libraries Kaitlin Sagaas INFO-650-901 Drexel University Sagaas 2 RUNNING HEAD: Advantages and Disadvantages of Alternative Funding For Public Library Abstract: In the height of the recession, public libraries are facing extreme budget cuts. In these trying times, libraries are looking for ways to save their libraries from the cuts that affect staffing, hours, programming, and materials. Personal observations of the public library have been recorded, analyzed, and applied into possible solutions that pertain to the current library budget cuts. Alternative funding has also been considered and applied to the results of the observations report. This includes an observation of a bookstore, where both observations and recommendations at the retail business were prepared and applied to public libraries, providing probable resolutions for public libraries to use instead of relying on alternative funding and controversial sources and support. Sagaas 3 RUNNING HEAD: Advantages and Disadvantages of Alternative Funding For Public Library INTRODUCTION: Paramus, N.J, one of the wealthiest towns in New Jersey is considered the “crossroads of Bergen County” (Onboard Informatics, 2009). Because of the five shopping malls and highways that boast hundreds of stores, almost all located in Paramus, it is the most visited area in the Garden State. In the heart of Paramus, two different buildings, one a public library, one a bookstore, sit in different areas of this affluent town that offer similar services and attract both visitors and the residents of Paramus. I visited both these places in hopes I could find noticeable differences between a public library and a retail business in terms of how the book business is surviving, per say, in the midst of the recession. On a hot afternoon in the summer of 2010, I visited the Paramus Public Library. Around 3pm on July 8th, I found the library bustling with noise and patrons. The library’s poignant mission statement focus solely on services provided to residents and county-wide visitors. They dutifully follow the visions of the Bergen County Cooperative Library System, for which they are a part of, and the departments all abide the mission statement “to offer a friendly face to service the community’s informational and meeting needs while insuring equal access and patron privacy” (Gandolfini, 2010) and is part of county-wide library system that includes over 70 libraries in Bergen County and also abides by the Bergen County Cooperative Library System mission statement which states that libraries share and support reciprocal borrowing between libraries, supports the informational needs of patrons, and supports funding and legislation of all Bergen County libraries (BCCLS’ Mission Statement, 2001). My observations were concluded within two hours of my visit there, and I found it appropriate to visit Barnes & Noble, the biggest bookstore located in Paramus, N.J., two days later, on a Friday evening, to observe the type of community who uses the bookstore instead of Sagaas 4 RUNNING HEAD: Advantages and Disadvantages of Alternative Funding For Public Library the library. Overall, I was looking for evident differences between the businesses whose success is solely funded from revenue vs. a public library, whose success is funded from the government. Barnes & Noble specifically has a business-oriented vision that is as follows: “Our mission is to operate the best specialty retail business in America, regardless of the product we sell. Because the product we sell is books, our aspirations must be consistent with the promise and the ideals of the volumes which line our shelves” (Our Mission, 2010). A ninety minute visit to Barnes & Noble as a paying customer portrayed to me the distinction between a retail bookstore and public library. This variation starts with a simple a lack of support to the public libraries, which they ultimately depend on. “More than 217 million Americans agree or strongly agree that the public library improves the quality of life in their community” (Davis 2006), yet funding is constantly lacking for public libraries. Because the libraries do not want to dip into the business aspects, such as fees for services, they suffer publicly, whereas the retail business is thriving because it capitalizes on what people want and what people will pay for. My observations beg the question as to where the need for funding for public libraries would cross the line into the territory that it would ultimately show signs of having the characteristics of a retail industry. COMMUNITY PROFILES: A public library is considered free because in the midst of the rich economy and a hot market, libraries are funded and function solely by the government and taxpayers. Because of the town where the Paramus Library is located, the influx of businesses in Paramus contributes to the library’s success and also sets the library up for fierce competition in ways other than profit. The Sagaas 5 RUNNING HEAD: Advantages and Disadvantages of Alternative Funding For Public Library Paramus Public Library is a one floor building located on a busy street close to many of the shopping malls in Paramus. With a population of over 27,000 residents (Onboard Informatics, 2009) and the constant flood of people visiting Paramus, one of the biggest shopping capitals of the world, has unexpectedly made Paramus Public Library a household name. Because of the town’s geographical size, the Paramus Public Library is one of two libraries in Paramus, the other located in a small two-room schoolhouse. Because the two libraries run as one public library statistically, their combined circulation is over 600,000 items that are circulated annually (Onboard Informatics, 2009). Along with their own items, they also borrow from libraries in other towns. Located just five miles away from the Paramus Public Library, Barnes & Noble, one of the town’s biggest bookstores, is three stories in size and is located on an enormous parking lot to service their customers. On either side of the store are more businesses that line Route 17, one of the two major highways in Paramus, for miles each way. The bookstore’s other retail competition are two small bookstores that are the Garden State Plaza mall and the Paramus Park mall. The business’ vision is to become and stay a successful retail production (Our Mission, 2010). Both the library and bookstore’s main objective is to provide the best possible services to the residents of Paramus and other town’s residents who visit their libraries and stores. Most of Paramus is 75% White/Non-Hispanic. However, 25% of residents who currently live in Paramus are foreign-born, and the influx of Asian residents as a group has the highest percentage of residency in Paramus, at 17% of that 25 percent. The town of Paramus is extremely diverse and the wide-ranging races also include Hispanic, Korean, Asian Indian, Chinese, Filipino, and Sagaas 6 RUNNING HEAD: Advantages and Disadvantages of Alternative Funding For Public Library Japanese, who make up fewer than 4% of Paramus (Onboard Informatics, 2009) Many of these groups can be found in the Paramus Public Library and Barnes & Noble, taking full advantage of the services both have to off. The library’s annual budget to spend on items such as books, audio and visual materials, and serial subscriptions is just over one million dollars and directly reflects trying to please the town of Paramus by including foreign-language collections, new audio and visual material, and the newest books, both fiction and non-fiction (Onboard Informatics, 2009). The other remaining pieces of the budget is spent on developing programs for the foreign-born residents such as ESL classes, and for the children, who are in 83% of the households in Paramus. Barnes &Noble also offer a wide collection of services and goods, including storytimes for the wide range of cultural groups in Paramus (Onboard Informatics, 2009). SCENES/INTERVIEWS: At my first observation, I was entering the Paramus Public Library with a mindset that I was an outsider visiting the library. As a current staff member of the second library in Paramus, the Charles E. Reid Branch, I knew going into the library pretending to be a patron in my own mind was going to be a challenge. From having insider knowledge, I knew there was an arts and crafts program going on the children’s area, so that is where I started. I observed that lots of parents were chatting with each other, and others who were picking out books to check out for their children. Another busy area of the children’s section was their summer reading club, where children could report the books they read over the course of the summer and receive prizes as motivation for reading. There was a staff about five children’s librarians who were all extremely busy helping parents with books, doing the summer reading club and running the arts & crafts program. Sagaas 7 RUNNING HEAD: Advantages and Disadvantages of Alternative Funding For Public Library After observing the scene in the children’s room, I moved to the reference area, where I observed that even on a Wednesday afternoon, the computers were completely filled up with people doing research, searching online, or social networking. The reference desk had a small line of people waiting for their questions to be answered or looking for a guest pass to get onto a computer. I observed the impatient looks on many of the patron’s faces, and wondered whether they thought there should be more staff on the reference desk to help them. My last observation was the circulation desk, which was bustling with activity. There was a slight line of people waiting to be checked out and a patron was arguing with a staff member behind the desk about a book he claims he returned. In time, I decided to do informal interviews with a few of the staff members. I went back to the children’s area, and talked to *Maggie (pseudonym, personal communication, July 8th, 2010), who is the supervisor of the children’s department. I first asked her if the children’s department was always this busy when there was a program going on, and if she had enough staff to handle the craziness. She told me that “it usually gets busy in the afternoon, with programs that are geared for elementary-school aged children, who usually brought their brothers and sisters. With five full time staff members, we are always running around and helping god knows how many people at one time. With our budget being cut, we have no money to hire summer staff. We are definitely struggling, yes,” I then asked her if she was lacking materials, and she told me they weren’t suffering in that aspect, it’s more that “we are busier than ever and there aren’t enough of us to handle everyone”. I then took my observations to the circulation desk, and asked them if they were busy in the summer and if they felt overwhelmed. *Betsy (pseudonym, personal communication, July 8th, 2010), the full-time page supervisor, told me that “circulation is absolutely insane during the Sagaas 8 RUNNING HEAD: Advantages and Disadvantages of Alternative Funding For Public Library summer, and the programs make the circulation go up higher.” She told me that they had enough staff in circulation, but “not enough computers and space. There is no room for people to work behind the desk. We are always bumping into each other.” I finally went to the reference area, where the heart of the library finds their information, and it took me a while to find someone to talk to. I asked *Anna (pseudonym, personal communication, July 8th, 2010) what types of questions they were asked on a typical afternoon, and she told me “everything. I get questions about where to go on vacation, what the weather is like in Hawaii, where to look for a job, and how to find information on breast cancer. There is no limit to what we can answer,” I then asked her how long it takes to find the answers for the questions, and she replied that “it could be one minute, or ten. We have a lot of reference staff, but only two on the desk at one time, simply because we have other things to do- such as ordering and organizing. The people have to wait.” Even though I work at the library, I never got to take a first-hand look at each department and see exactly how much work they have to do each day, all while providing the best customer service. Along with that foundation, they are answering questions for people free of charge. That’s what I call a love for the community. My visit to the library inspired me to have an open mind in my observation of the bookstore. I started my observation at Barnes & Noble by taking a seat at the café that is located on the first floor. I had a good look at the entire store downstairs, but felt like I needed to buy something in order to take a table at the café, so I gave in and bought a donut and tea. I noticed it was a lot quieter in the store then it was in the library, which is quite ironic, because of the stigma of how strict librarians are when it comes to being quiet in their place of solace. I noticed the set up of the bookstore was a lot more organized then the library, and there were a lot more types of items the bookstore offered. Each sort of item was categorized in a place at the store, Sagaas 9 RUNNING HEAD: Advantages and Disadvantages of Alternative Funding For Public Library such as magazines, and S.A.T. books, and more choices were offered to the customers. The catch is though, if you want it, you have to buy it. I watched many of the customers sit comfortably in chairs and curl up with a book, sort of like the library, and others perused the shelves, not looking for anything specific, except maybe a good beach read. I then headed upstairs to the second level to observe the study area. Even on a Friday night, kids and adults alike were taking advantage of the tables to study and read, and even chat quietly with their study partners and friends. Upstairs, they sold old records and newspapers you couldn’t necessarily find in the library. After taking my time looking through the whole store, I decided to talk to someone who was at the customer service desk. I told her I was doing a paper for library school and asked her how they organize their bookstore. She gave me a quick layout and I observed she didn’t really detail the store, but instead told me what she knew (personal communication, July 10th, 2010). She asked if I was looking for something and I asked her if she had the ZooBooks magazine. She went to computer and looked it up! I started to feel that the bookstore felt impersonal to me and ran like a retail company in which someone has to look up what they carry instead of knowing their place like the back of their hand. I decided to ask her if they knew what books were being ordered for Barnes & Noble, and she seemed slightly offended, but then led me to the section called “Beach Reading” and told me that they order the newest titles; plain and simple. The service was expected simply because this is a retail store. People do not come to bookstore looking to find in-depth information about history, unless you know what you want. The books are the main attraction, whereas at a public library the customer service is one of the main attractions. Sagaas 10 RUNNING HEAD: Advantages and Disadvantages of Alternative Funding For Public Library SUPPORTING RESEARCH: It is no secret that library funding has been cut within the last few years, even if public libraries have been used more and more, evidenced by the hustling and bustling in the Paramus Public Library on a busy summer day. Denise Agosto (2008) comments that “it appears that there has been an increase in public library usage over the past few decades, coupled with an aggregate national decrease in public funding since the 1990’s” (p. 120). Because of that, tax money has also been decreased, which pushes the libraries to reconsider whether they can depend fully on tax resources in order to keep their libraries running successful. Many options are available for public libraries to pursue; however, based on the ideas that public libraries are government-run, any indication that the libraries are drifting away from their direct plans can become controversial. Public funding for the library is clearly political, and therefore “subject to local politics, local trends, and local crises” (Agosto, 2008, p. 119). Politicians do this in response to the economic downturn and the first place to cut is the public library. Many libraries are looking to find other ways to support their library. Things that are typically cut within the library are “materials, staffing, electronic access, and hours of business” (Davis, 2006) Alternative funding can typically mean “fees for services, private donations, and government, corporate and foundation grants” (Agosto, 2008, p.122). If a library is struggling to the point where they can no longer afford to stay open, they unfortunately look to privatizing their libraries. Alternative funding or plural funding is a controversial topic that teeters on the edge of whether public libraries are acting as businesses in competition and are invading each other’s territories, so that one library many fail, and the other succeed in a race of who can get the most funding from gifts, fundraising, sales, and grants (Hennen, 2004, p. 43). This ultimately excludes Sagaas 11 RUNNING HEAD: Advantages and Disadvantages of Alternative Funding For Public Library those who can’t afford to support the library with anything other than their taxes (Agosto, 2008, p. 123). However, small changes such as adding ways to generate revenue inside the libraries such as cafes and used bookstores, would slightly increase library budgets so much so that they could once again better their services. Once again, many find this controversial, simply because “as soon as you put fees between the user and the services, in principle, people are denied those services.” (Agosto, 2008, p. 123). One such situation occurred in at the Stockton-San Joaquin County Public Library, in which times got so desperate; they put a request out to privatize their library (Foster, 2010). Simply put libraries need to cut elsewhere then depend on the economy to save them from the recession. Libraries have a reputation to better the world, not sell out. ; “America's public libraries are a cornerstone of our democracy and play an important part in our nation's commitment to public education.” Thomas Hennen (2004) gives libraries hope by declaring that “we have weathered the Great Depression and World War II, we can get through this recession without radically changing the game plan” (p. 44). THOUGHT/INTERPRETATIONS: As a librarian, I have been directly affected by the budget cuts to public libraries. Public libraries, since the beginning of time, have been put in place to educate and provide the best possible services to everyone. However, those who are looking for other results find that alternative funding may be the solution to woes of the public library. Steve Coffman (2004), whose looking for alternative funding to change the future of libraries, sees “the current method of funding public libraries-which relies almost exclusively on local tax dollars- is not working well now, nor has it really served us well in the past” (p. 39). He looks towards retail businesses and National Public Radio as examples that the library can take on, and goads librarians to jump Sagaas 12 RUNNING HEAD: Advantages and Disadvantages of Alternative Funding For Public Library in feet first, because “in truth, we still know very little about how these new funding sources work for us”, (Coffman, 2004, p. 39) but is willing to take a risk. Coffman tends to not look at the downsides to alternative funding, besides the fear of the unknown, he does not see that charging fees for services other then the basic fines and look into major alternative funding, the library is losing respect of the population who believes in the acceptance of everyone and the enhancement of knowledge. Taking on the role of information professional is accepting that idea that you are working for the public and are expected to provide them with the best possible service. To turn towards private funding will ultimately cut the support of local taxes because the public no longer wants to support a library who is more interested in business then the public interests (Agosto, 2008, p. 135). Such an example is Barnes & Noble, a retail business, whose only interest is to be supportive of their product, rather than of the community they are serving. They are expected to stand behind their products, which is books and other materials, and provide only what they think is best. On the other hand, a public library is expected to serve the needs of the community and not lose its objectivity in the town they are working for (Agosto, 2008, p. 135). Patrons visit the library to seek out information. They are being provided with the basic services they are not able to find at home, and are given attention by those who are willing to help them in their time of need, whether that may be to find a title of a book or help looking for a job. The library’s mission is to serve the community and provide them with different services. In my observations, the Paramus Public Library is being affected by the budget cuts due to the recession; “New Jersey has eliminated 2,000 state positions by encouraging early retirement, leaving vacancies unfilled, and laying off staff” (Johnson, Oliff, & Williams, 2010) In lieu of the basic material cuts and early retirements, the library has considered alternative funding, and Sagaas 13 RUNNING HEAD: Advantages and Disadvantages of Alternative Funding For Public Library looked for, at one time, to build a new library, but overall, the community spoke and was opposed to something that would raise their taxes. Our director respected the decision of the community and agrees that “private funding diminishes libraries’ worth as places free, open, unbiased discussion spaces” (Agosto, 2008, p. 135). Funding in a place such as Barnes & Noble can be directly seen in terms of what the recession has done to the economy and people’s personal lives. The retail bookstore sales declined 5.4 in 2008 and had to make the appropriate cuts. (Riggio, 2009). Places go out of business simply because they no longer have interest in the product nor can they afford the products that places like a bookstore is trying to sell. Therefore, those customers eventually turn to the libraries for their wants and needs. Fortunately, Barnes and Noble survived the swift economic downturn and business is still booming (Riggio, 2009). In these trying times, when businesses are being affected by the recession, public libraries become more popular than ever, and in turn, more pressure is on the libraries to provide the best customer service, and ultimately, run as smoothly as possible. RECOMMENDATIONS/CONCLUSIONS: No matter who uses a public library, and whether they choose to get their books from the library or a bookstore, their services will be utilized in the right manner. A bookstore’s physical environment invites people to spend money and purchase things that meet their needs and interests they can have permanently, whereas a public library’s environment invites people to seek out information and service. In order to keep true to what each type of place actually is, these places of business and information need to convey the right message. A bookstore’s collection is centered on entertainment and interests, having variety for their customers to pick Sagaas 14 RUNNING HEAD: Advantages and Disadvantages of Alternative Funding For Public Library from, whereas a library has the information people both need and want, plus. The most important thing, besides what type of environment a person is walking into, is that the staff provides the right type of customer service. The reference area has to be open to any type of question and is willing to seek out information that may not be right at their fingertips. Programs provided by the library have to be varied, entertaining, and useful, while accommodating the diversifying public that walks through their doors. In contrast, a bookstore has the options to provide extra programs and services to the public, all for a price. In the times of struggle, people have to do what is best for them. The issues of funding were obvious in the Paramus Public Library, as seen by the advertisement of the hours cut and certain programs that could no longer go on, but the exceptional customer made up for the fact that the library was losing some of its services If I were to open a library, my ideal library would include aspects of both a bookstore and a public library. I would look for the best customer service and a physical environment that would include a range of technological advances, including computers for the public to use and behind the circulation desk, multiple rooms to have programs in, a diverse collection of books, audio and visual materials, and a small café that would generate a small profit to keep the library running in times of struggle. The two places I observed were heartfelt in the approaches to promote their business and library, and the environment they work in shows that they are lacking in space, but making up for it in customer service. It is of the utmost importance to have confidence in your ability to make the best of your workplace, and provide the best services to both the patrons and customers who depend on you. The best decisions are always the most thought out, and funding is a touchy subject that needs to be looked at carefully, from all angles, and need to set in motion by those who support it. Sagaas 15 RUNNING HEAD: Advantages and Disadvantages of Alternative Funding For Public Library REFERENCES: Agosto, D. E. (2008). Alternative Funding for Public Libraries: Trends, Sources, and the Heated Arguments that Surround It. Advances in Librarianship , 115-139. BCCLS' Mission Statement. (2001, February). Retrieved July 15, 2010, from http://www.bccls.org/buckles/mission.shtml Coffman, S. (2004). Saving ourselves: Plural funding for public libraries. American Libraries, 35, 37-39 Davis, D.M. (2006). Funding Issues in U.S. Public Libraries, Fiscal Years 2003-2006. Retrieved from http://www.ala.org/ala/research/librarystats/public/fundingissuesinuspls Davis, D.M. (2009). The Condition of U.S. Libraries: Public Library Trends, 2002‐2009. Retrieved from http://www.ala.org/ala/research/librarystats/public/Condition_of_Libraries_1999.20.pdf Foster, C. (2010, July 24). Public libraries must be public, not profit machines. Retrieved July 24, 2010, from Recordnet.com: http://www.recordnet.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20100724/A_OPINION/7240328/1/NEWSMAP Sagaas 16 RUNNING HEAD: Advantages and Disadvantages of Alternative Funding For Public Library Gandolfini, P. (2010, June 17). Paramus Library: Managing the library’s ‘circ desk’ . Retrieved July 15, 2010, from North Jersey.com: http://www.northjersey.com/arts_entertainment/at_the_library/96538394_Managing_the_ library_s__circ_desk__.html Hennen, T. J. (2004). Restore our destiny: Full--not plural--funding. American Libraries, 35, 43-45 Johnson, N., Oliff, P., & Williams, E. (2010, May 25). An Update on State Budget Cuts . Retrieved July 15, 2010, from Center on Budget and Policy Priorities: http://www.cbpp.org/cms/index.cfm?fa=view&id=1214 Onboard Informatics. (2009). Paramus, New Jersey . Retrieved July 15th, 2010 from http://www.city-data.com/city/Paramus-New-Jersey.html Our Mission. (2010). Retrieved July 15th, 2010, from Barnes & Noble Booksellers: http://www.barnesandnobleinc.com/our_company/mission/our_mission.html Sagaas 17 RUNNING HEAD: Advantages and Disadvantages of Alternative Funding For Public Library Riggio, L. (2009). Barnes & Noble 2008 Annual Report. New York: Common Stock. Sagaas 18 RUNNING HEAD: Advantages and Disadvantages of Alternative Funding For Public Library APPENDIX: I don’t have a scanner nor does my library, so I had to retype my notes, and recreated my map with the program called Smartdraw: Paramus Library: July 15th, 3pm Parking Lot full Arts & Crafts starts at 3pm, lasts an hour Signs on door saying that library is closing a couple of Saturdays and Sundays in August due to budgetary constraints Children’s room is full, parents chatting, 8 tables- filled with parents Computers filled with children, on Club Penguin, game websites Very loud, staff looks stressed out See a list, lots of names, think it is for the summer reading club Interview Annie, ask what they are making for arts & crafts She says they are making a paper fish Ask how many people are in there, one full time person, two volunteers Is it always this busy? I ask. “it usually got busy in the afternoon, with programs that are geared for elementary-school aged children, who usually brought their brothers and sisters.” How many staff members? I ask: direct quote from Annie- “With five full time staff members, we are always running around and helping god knows how many people at one time. With our budget being cut, we have no money to hire summer staff. We are definitely struggling, yes” Reference area- tables are full, not quiet Line by reference desk, about 4 people waiting- people look impatient People are on facebook, emails, some bank websites etc. Circulation desk- about 7 people waiting in a single line to be helped by the people behind the circulation desk, three girls working on three computers Girls looked stressed, lots going on- phones ringing, lots of books to be shelved Line is moving quickly- girls know what they are doing, also juggling phone calls Man by discharge desk is saying he returned a book and it is still on his card Girl behind desk talks to him quietly- he looks mad Talk to Hanna behind reference desk- ask what things she asked on an afternoon like today. Direct quote from Hanna- “everything. I get questions about where to go on vacation, what the weather is like in Hawaii, where to look for a job, and how to find information on breast cancer. There is no limit to what we can answer” Sagaas 19 RUNNING HEAD: Advantages and Disadvantages of Alternative Funding For Public Library She looks preoccupied. I ask how long it takes to answer everyone’s question. She looks slightly annoyed “it could be one minute, or ten. We have a lot of reference staff, but only two on the desk at one time, simply because we have other things to do- such as ordering and organizing. The people have to wait.” Talk to Beth on circulation- asked her how the circulation desk handles the business of the summer. Direct quote “circulation is absolutely insane during the summer, and the programs make the circulation go up higher.” I ask her since it’s the summer, do they have enough circulation, and if they were lacking anything in circulation that makes it more stressful. “We have enough staff- fulltime and part time, but not enough computers and space. There is no room for people to work behind the desk. We are always bumping into each other.” library newsletter- talks about the budget cuts, summer programs in the summer, and information about becoming a Friend of the Library Barnes and Noble: Friday, July 10th 7pm: Parking lot is pretty full Front entrance feels like a hotel Many people on laptops sitting at café Dark, feels like a coffee shop Huge downstairs, can see people in all sections Sections are very organized- however, too many sections Not by non-fiction and fiction, but by subject Lots of children’s books, many young adults novels to pick from Huge magazine section S.A.T books and test books are in the section together In back there are used books to buy Up front by cashier lots of different things to purchase- chocolate, bookmarks, pens, many novelties. Upstairs, very quiet, many tables, feels like a comfortable living room One or two people at each table, studying and reading? Records, CDS, Books on CD located next to each other Asked random girl, looked about 20, where Zoobooks were. She had to look it up on the computer! Slightly appalled that she didn’t know what magazines they carried. She took me to the magazine section Asked her about who ordered books for Barnes & Noble. Facial expression acted like I was asking for too much personal information, and told me “we order the newest titles” I asked if she could recommend one for me. She took me to a display called “Beach Reading” and left me there. Wasn’t rude, but didn’t go out of her way to help me. Sagaas 20 RUNNING HEAD: Advantages and Disadvantages of Alternative Funding For Public Library Titles were all fluff reading, most of the stuff you could find at the library Left without purchasing anything MAPS ON NEXT TWO PAGES Sagaas 21 RUNNING HEAD: Advantages and Disadvantages of Alternative Funding For Public Library Paramus Public Library: Buy SmartDraw!- purchased copies print this document without a watermark . Visit www.smartdraw.com or call 1-800-768-3729. Sagaas 22 RUNNING HEAD: Advantages and Disadvantages of Alternative Funding For Public Library Barnes & Noble: Buy SmartDraw !- purchased copies print this document without a watermark . Visit www.smartdraw.com or call 1-800-768-3729.