HCPL System receives STAR Award

Mary Paramore
HBL Associate Editor
12/18/09

While speaking before members of the Economic Development Advisory Board, Harford County Public Library Director Audra Caplan shared recent successes of the Learn Explore and Play program at the Edgewood branch. She noted the program is considered a prototype for the planned Churchville branch, which will have a dedicated area for science, technology engineering and math education.

Harford County Public Library System has been rated four-stars by Library Journal, the nation’s oldest and most respected publication covering the library field. Library Director Audra Caplan announced the honor during her presentation to members of the Economic Development Advisory Board Dec. 9 at the Higher Education Center in Aberdeen.

Library Journal staff members indexed 7,278 libraries in the United States and identified 258 libraries that deliver exceptional service. According to a subsequent news release issued by HCPL, Library Journal, grouped libraries by their operational budget size and rated them with 5, 4 or 3 stars. Only four libraries in Maryland made the short list, and HCPL received the highest rating of those four.

“We are exceptional because of each and every staff member,” Caplan said.

At the EDAB meeting, Chairman Eric McLauchlin was less inclined to allow Caplan to give her staff all the credit.

 “One measure of this was leadership, and I believe you hold several important national positions,” he said to her. Caplan noted she is vice-president/president-elect of the national Public Library Association and will become president in July 2010. McLauchlin said, “We have that in our community and that’s a big deal.”

Caplan told EDAB members that library use has increased substantially during the past year, and is expected during tough economic times. She said, “People who can’t afford to go to the movies or rent DVDs borrow ours. Almost all applications for government services and many jobs are online. We are a lifeline for people who have lost their jobs.”

She said the past year’s budget cuts eliminated, among other things, $900,000 from the personnel budget, reducing staff by 30 full-time and page positions. The HCPL system took a $520,000 cut from its materials budget, as well.

“Everybody took a hit, but I don’t think people realized how large an impact these cuts would have,” Caplan said. She pointed to a materials campaign currently underway by the HCPL Library Foundation and urged EDAB members to consider making a contribution when considering year-end giving.

The Harford County Public Library operates eleven branches in the county, serving more than 200,000 registered borrowers and circulating more than 5 million items annually.