Dispensing more than reading materials

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February 22, 2011 - 12:00 AM

HUMBOLDT — The librarian in a small community is expected to know much more than where to find the latest fiction.
People passing through town, or coming to Humboldt with a purpose, often stop at the local library with other queries, such as where the museum is located, when is Biblesta or how to find a nearby cemetery.
And in the past few years, Humboldt Library Director Melinda Herder has also spent numerous hours assisting the unemployed maneuver through the online process of job searches or submitting an electronic resume.
“In a small town, we sometimes act more as a community resource than a librarian,” Herder said.
It’s not unusual for frequent patrons to ask Herder for help on something they received in the mail and may not understand. While keeping a mental record of the daily visitors, she has been known to call and check on the well-being of locals when they haven’t been in for several days.
“There are just some people in town that are alone and the library is a social place for them to come and be around other people,” Herder said. “They don’t subscribe to the newspaper or any magazines and so they come in to read the paper and look through the magazines. It gets them out of the house.”
Having lived all her life in Humboldt, Herder is well suited to be librarian understanding patron’s needs and providing help when she can. She has been the director for 18 years, taking over after Jane Blades left.
“Jane trained me for two days on how to order books and do the paperwork,” Herder recalled. “Back then every book had a card.”
The technology used in the library now is more advanced and efficient with books, magazines, movies all processed, cataloged and bar coded on the computer. There were no computers used in the library when Herder took the reins, but now there are five for public use with Internet access and three used by the staff.
Through inter-library loans, patrons are able to borrow any book that is published, but not available locally. Stacks of slightly used books that have been donated take up counter space in the back office and must go through the same process as new books in bar coding, stamping and covering.
“We probably average processing 50 books a month,” Library Aide Marlene Weilert said. That number doesn’t include the magazines, DVDs or audio tapes that also must be handled.
Paperwork for the state has tripled in volume since Herder became librarian and requires recording the number of people visiting the library, using the Internet, materials checked out and new borrowers. Herder attends monthly board meetings, oversees maintenance of the building and grounds and handles scheduling for the library’s community room. She waits on patrons needing a fax or copy; she sets up the microfilm reader for visitors wanting to do research on genealogy and she helps with the local book club, as well as the Friends of the Library group. 
“Weeding out” of old or unused books is an ongoing and time-consuming task.
“Every book has to be physically opened and we determine its worth by the number of times it has been checked out,” Herder explained. “By the time we get through the whole library, it’s time to start again.”
Three part-time employees, Weilert, Sharon Aldrich and Jewel Barney, help with the duties, which allows Herder time for helping daily visitors, whether they are local or just passing through.
“She’s nice to everyone,” Weilert said referring to Herder. “She treats people nice and that means a lot to them.”

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