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Mathews is a town of 9,200 in Virginia's Tidewater region.   As a popular retirement spot for the urban centers in the area--a third of the population is over 55--the community boasts a variety of interests and skills, many of which retirees bring with them.

Mathews library staffer Carol McCormack shows patrons the ropes.   The wires are now a thing of the past: since this photo was taken the lab has gone wireless! (Photo: Bonnie Smith)

The Mathews Memorial Library is led by director Bette Dillehay, who's worked there since 2002.  The library is in a former bank building with a 1930's art deco design, converted to use as a library in 1976.  Three years ago, renovation added a wing with a meeting center.  This design allows the library to serve adult and youth in completely separate spaces, which makes program planning considerably easier.  Giving kids their own space--and their own computers--helps address filtering needs as well as creating a needed sense of ownership and involvement.

The library's rapid growth (currently at 5,358 cardholders, up nearly 3,000 since 2002) is due in part to the availability of public access computers--the library has 29 laptops in a classroom space, a wireless network, and ten desktop PCs for the OPAC. But the growth is, as Bette says, "also due to focusing on changing the perception and image of library from one of 'where to go to get leisure reading' to 'this is a community center where people can explore any number of opportunities'." 

The multitalented Carol McCormack moves with ease from tech training to story time. (Photo: Greg Lewis)

Here are just a few of the ways Bette and her staff make that happen.

• The library's collection of 43,000 items includes a large music library, built around the donation of a patron whose uncle was a pianist and composer.  The library has turned the collection into a basis for adult programming, offering music programs and appreciation workshops (which draw up to 60 people each).  Another major area of interest for the community is history and genealogy.  To help support this, the library partners with the local historical society to combine their holdings.  Going forward, the library does the cataloging for access to records and is now starting in on digitization, while the historical society is responsible for acquiring new materials.
• When Bette started, early childhood programs were moribund, with only one or two participants.  Realizing that most of the kids in the target population were in daycare, Carol McCormack, head of youth services, arranged partnerships with local providers: on sunny days the kids come to the library, and on rainy days a library staffer goes to the daycare center.  Of course, once the senior center heard about that, they called to say "You know, we don’t do much on Mondays--do you think that you could do something to make books available here?  As Bette says, "people start to think of the library as an integral part of the community--not just a single service!"
• An exciting program to be launched this fall, a series of monthly discussions at the library about social questions will help to reinforce this connection.   The first series, “Mathews Matters,” will address local quality-of-life issues.  Centered on the question "What are the things that make Mathews a great place to live?", the conversation will be divided into a consideration of three life periods (growing up, productive years, and retirement years). Moving the discussion from a political to a social context will allow the discussions to take place in a neutral environment where people could really talk about the core issues.  A second series on “Mathews and Beyond” is also planned, to consider happenings in the outside world and their impact on Mathews.

When it comes to technology, Bette's strategy is clear: "First you want to focus on the true mission of the library: to serve patrons.  You need to look at what aspects of technology are important to accomplish that."  And here's a second key point: "What you have to do is ensure a level of independence in regards to technology."  To that end, Bette created a Technical Services position so the library would be sure to have the expertise she needed in-house.  The current Tech Services lead is Greg Lewis, who does indeed make a significant contribution to ensuring the ongoing success of the library.

The library is an active participant in Virginia's TechRiders program, which regularly puts technical trainers in other community facilities (such as churches, senior centers, and YMCAs).  Mathews Memorial was the first library to take advantage of TechRiders program; the laptops and training materials provided by the state have been instrumental in helping to jump start the library's own training programs (more information about the statewide program here).

In addition, the library received one of four “Staying Connected” grants through the State Library of Virginia.   The grant of $9800 was used to expand computer training programs.  The lab was  “mobilized,” laptops were added, and Mathews now provides computer classes in other libraries throughout the Tidewater region.

So how does Bette encourage her staff to get up to speed on new technology?  The key here is to build the staff's confidence and give them experiences of success.  Through a sustainability grant, Bette is able to keep staff going to classes regularly--twice a month--at a local community college.  To build synergy, she sends them to training…together.  "They come back and talk about what they learn: they work on things and then build their confidence, and continue to grow and learn."  Projects like the library's online catalogue and its Web site give staff members a wonderful sense of accomplishment, as well as providing them with some needed real-world technical experience.

Bette has this advice for smaller libraries:  first, "embrace technology and exploit it in the positive sense--do whatever it takes to have the skills available to support and expand its use, whether that means partnering, budget alteration, structural changes.  Directors need to identify with tech, while educating the community about its benefits.  Help people get past the 'Google or porno' mindsets about the Internet--help them see that we have marvelous databases and other ways that the library adds value to the community."

She also suggests that libraries "concentrate on understanding your community and reaching out.  Become a vital part of the community structure, which may mean not doing things in the ‘traditional’ way.  The library is going to be around, but may not be the same institution that we have historically thought of."

And here's a story that tells you quite a bit about the Mathews community--and quite a bit about Bette.   There's a very elderly couple in town, in their late 90s: the wife is an avid puppeteer, and the husband is an avid, and very organized, reader.  He started working his way through the large-print fiction collection, beginning with the As, and keeps a record of every book he reads.  One day Bette noticed that he’d stopped coming in every week.  When she learned that he was homebound, and not knowing where he was in the alphabet, she started sending him four books a week--working backward from the Zs.

You can reach Library Director Bette Dillehay at (804)725-5747, or by email at bettedillehay@mathewslibrary.org.  The library's Web site is http://www.mathewslibrary.org/.

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