Upcoming Library Move! What you need to know...

The days are flying by, and our "big move" will be here before you know it.  Here are some dates and information that will help us to help you get through this period.

• Savannah Branch will stay open throughout this time.  Only one branch will be closed, so make the short drive to Savannah if you need to use a computer or run out of books to read.  Many of you have never been there before, and our Savannah Branch is beautiful!
• Our online resources will still be accessible.  Now is as good a time as any to try an e-book on your mobile device and see how you like it.
• Before the Belt Branch closes, check out twice as many books as you normally would to get you through.  Plus, that is more books we don't have to move.
• Don't worry about returning your books, because we do not have overdue fines.  Renew the books you already have checked out, even if you are finished with them and just hold onto them until we reopen.
• We have over 100,000 books plus 32 staff and a bunch of furniture to move.  Then we also have new furniture to get delivered and assembled.  And the Books Revisited bookstore and the Bookmobile also will need to move.  A move like this does not happen overnight.

Here are some dates for you to mark on your calendars:

ADMINISTRATIVE OFFICES, Closed Monday, March 2

BELT BRANCH, Last Day Open -- Sunday, March 15

BOOKS REVISITED Bookstore, Last Day Open -- Saturday, March 21

RIVERSIDE BRANCH, Soft Opening, sometime in mid-April

GRAND OPENING of the RIVERSIDE BRANCH -- Saturday, May 9  

Phone numbers and email addresses will all stay the same, so reach out online if you have any questions or concerns.  You can reach me at help@rhcl.org or 816-205-7000.

Michelle Mears, Library Director

Digital changes are coming

By Michelle Mears, Rolling Hills Library Director

I hope that many of you have at least tried an e-book or e-audio on your mobile device or computer. If you haven’t, now might be a good time to give it a whirl. If Santa brings you a new tablet or upgrades your phone, you can try out one of our online services.

But you need to know there are changes on tap for our “virtual” branch to make it simpler to use and more enjoyable.

To give you some background, it hasn’t been all that long that Missouri libraries have been offering e-books to users. Our library started around 2011 with the MoLib2Go consortium, which is provided by OverDrive. Today their app is called Libby and is our most used e-book resource. Usage of e-materials on all our online platforms has been steadily climbing after years of slow growth and now it is up about 20% over last year.

Just like potato chips, it’s hard to limit yourself to just a few, so over the years we added more and more online services. During covid, when physical access to the library was limited, we added some digital resources to our virtual branch so people would not be without books during a difficult time. Also like potato chips, it’s usually too late when you realize you have had too many.

The library needs to go on kind of a digital “diet” to streamline our offerings and keep to our budget for books and other resources.

Here’s what’s going down

We are going to end some of these app services and combine them into one new platform. Libby will continue to be available, but Boundless, Hoopla, and Blackstone will end in December 2025, and CloudLibrary will take its place. We understand that some of you may be upset about this decision, so let me explain.

First, pricing for digital titles is much higher than the same titles in print. Where we might pay $18 for a hardcover book with our negotiated discounts, the e-book version could be $60 for only 24 months of access, and the e-audio version can be as high as $120 each.

For an “always available” resource like Hoopla (no holds or waiting), we pay an amount per checkout between $.99 and $3.99. Our Hoopla usage started out at six titles per user per month, went up to 12 during covid, back down to six earlier this year, and now we are down to just three and our monthly bill is still close to $5,000 per month, just for Hoopla. That is more than 20% of our total collection budget for the whole year. Hoopla has become unsustainable.

Second, people tend to load just one app on their device and stay with that even if it means they miss out on some great stuff on other platforms. Only the savvy users will switch between different apps and search for titles in multiple places. One solution to this is to reduce the number of apps we offer so they can access more from fewer “visits” to the virtual branch.

We understand there are many people who are voracious readers, but again we have to impose limits so we can serve the greatest number of users with the funds we have available.

Finally, we have leveraged our sharing networks so our users can get the benefit of more than we can afford on our own. Libby is a shared resource across 110 Missouri libraries, which puts a lot of value into the pot but also results in longer wait times because more than 2 million people are sharing those titles.

CloudLibrary is also part of a consortium but will be shared among less than 20 libraries and will offer some of the best features of Hoopla, such as having graphic novels, streaming video and no reserves for some titles. Users will also be able to recommend titles to purchase, and we certainly want to buy things we know will get checked out.

We know that many of you have enjoyed Hoopla for the past five years and hope you will give CloudLibrary a try when it launches in mid-December.

These days public libraries have to be nimble and ready to make a change when circumstances change. We continue to work hard to serve you and welcome your feedback and input. You can send any questions, concerns or feedback to us at help@rhcl.org.

Thank you, and as always, (H)Appy Reading!

Library Friends cook up a sweet fundraiser

The Friends of Rolling Hills Library have cooked up a sweet fundraising effort in time for Christmas shopping.

The Cake Lady and Friends is a cookbook of 150 cake, pie, candy and cookie recipes from Friends members, library staff and volunteers and Barb Dalrymple, aka The Cake Lady.

The cookbooks go on sale on Black Friday, Nov. 28, at Books Revisited (the Friends used bookstore), the Belt Branch and Savannah Branch. Cost is $12.

Dalrymple began her Rolling Hills career volunteering in 1981 and became a part-time employee two years later. That’s when she started bringing cakes to work on Mondays and for coworkers’ birthdays. She retired in 2015 as acquisitions manager but still drops off birthday cakes to Belt Branch staff members.

In November 2011, Dalrymple’s first recipe appeared in the library’s monthly newsletter. The recipes became the newsletter’s most popular item through the years and are still there in the library’s quarterly newsletters. The idea for a cookbook was sparked with her 100^th recipe in the 2025 winter newsletter.

“It’s just what I do,” Dalrymple says about the cakes. “It just makes me happy that someone else is happy. Most often they smile when they see me coming in (the library) with a cake.”

Toys for Tots donations can be left at Belt and Savannah branches

Kids may not be looking past Halloween this early in fall, but the Marine Corps Reserve is already working to make sure children have a happy Christmas holiday.

Toys for Tots collection boxes are now set up until Dec. 8 at the Belt Branch, 1904 N. Belt, and the Savannah Branch, 514 W. Main.

Donations must be new, unwrapped toys and in the $5 to $15 range. More expensive gifts, such as video games, are discouraged so more people can afford to donate and more toys are available to give to children, according to Don Crigger, the Marine Corps Reserve Toys for Tots coordinator for Andrew and Buchanan counties.

The toys that are donated in the two counties will be passed on to charitable organizations that distribute Christmas presents in Andrew and Buchanan counties.

Let the Sunshine Shine In

By Alan Stolfus, Browse editor

To say that Belt Branch manager Kelly Morris is excited about the new library being built to replace her current work site is an understatement.

“WE ARE SO EXCITED ABOUT WINDOWS AND DAYLIGHT AND GRASS AND TREES!!!!!” was the opening line of an email she sent when asked about her thoughts on the move.

“Having green space around the library means lots more options for programming,” Morris said. “We can have outdoor concerts, gardening programs, water play for littles on the fenced-in back patio, etc. – all things we could NOT do in our current space.”

Library director Michelle Mears also emphasizes the wellness aspects of natural spaces.

“We know that people are happier and healthier when they have a connection to the outdoors,” she said. “The design of our new building was made for the enjoyment of both library users and library staff.”

If you have been looking at the construction camera photos on the library website – it’s under About/Library Building Project – they don’t provide the best view of what is being built.

Outside coming inside

Windows, windows and more windows. The north side of the Riverside Branch will have a curtain wall of 20-foot, 6-inch insulated glass that stretches from the Administration Office on the east side to Books Revisited on the west. The library entrance also will have windows that size.

Twelve-foot windows that run along the south and southeast sides of the library will bring natural light into the library collection, study rooms and a conference room. Windows also will light up the children’s StoryHouse, CreateSpace and Community Room.

The windows are going in now (late August into September) and the roof is finished, said Jon Whaley, JE Dunn Construction superintendent. The beginning of March 2026 is when the site should be turned over to the library.

September brings outside work such as sidewalks, curbing, light pole bases and then asphalt for the parking lots. By the end of the month, the building should be sealed off from the weather, according to Whaley.

With trees on the south and west sides, nature is being added inside and outside the library.

A large rain garden will be in front of the building with a variety of plants. The Northwest Missouri Master Gardeners are developing educational signage for the native plants around the building. Morris would like to partner with a local birding group because bird feeders are planned for the south side of the building.

A retention pond for all of the Mosaic Court area is behind the library, which brings more opportunities for programs with the Missouri Department of Conservation, Morris said.

And the trees aren’t staying outside. There will be two inside support columns dressed like trees, one in the children’s area and one in the adult collections area.

Closing time

As the time comes closer to move to Riverside, Mears encourages Belt patrons to check out extra books by the end of February to get them through the closed period.

“Most programs and services will be on hiatus starting March 1, and we hope to move the branch at the end of that month and only be closed two or three weeks,” she said.

The Savannah Branch will remain open throughout this time, so all users are encouraged to look there for books and other items. The Bookmobile will continue its scheduled visits as much as possible. Books Revisited will remain open on Belt Highway until the end of April or beginning of May. 

 

Libraries Under Siege: Efforts at federal, state levels could cut our library funds

By Michelle Mears, Rolling Hills Library Director 

While it may be floating underneath your daily radar, public libraries are definitely in danger at this moment. Between a complete elimination of all federal funding for libraries and efforts to quietly reduce state property tax assessment rates, the public library as you know it may not look or feel the same if some of these changes come to fruition.

The federal budget crisis will not be solved on the backs of public libraries. The relatively small amount of funds allocated for Missouri libraries pays for statewide services like courier delivery, interlibrary loan, and summer reading grants. We may have to limit or eliminate borrowing from other libraries if we can’t afford the connection fees or the postage to borrow and lend items to libraries across the state and across the country. This service is one of the things that has always made libraries special.

This year, we applied for a summer reading grant to help cover the costs of providing a reading program for all ages. But the State Library first told us that half our grant was gone, then said that it was back, and now we don’t know what to believe since the courts have put an injunction on the elimination of the Institute of Museum and Library Services, the federal department that distributes funds to the states.

State legislators have also been busy wanting to lower tax rates, which would give away local tax dollars that have been approved by voters. It may seem like small potatoes, but assessing personal property, like motor vehicles, at 31% instead of 33.33% will put a significant dent in our expected income if this passes and is signed into law. Residents of our library district approved a tax rate based on the valuation of property and the kind of services they wanted from their public library, which we will be hard pressed to provide as revenue shrinks.

For those who have never lived anywhere but Missouri, you need to understand taxes here are not high compared to other locations. You won’t get clean, safe, and educated communities without spending public tax dollars to get them.

As we get ready for our new fiscal year to begin on July 1 and we prepare to move to our new facility in St. Joseph in 2026, it is only prudent that we look at how and where we can tighten our belts. If it turns out that things are fine, then it was just a precaution. If not, then we will be in a good position to keep providing the best library service possible.

We won’t fade away. We are here to help you in any way that we can. We’re building the kind of library we can be proud of and that you deserve, because the right to read is for everyone.

Study shows visiting libraries makes people feel better

By Michelle Mears
Rolling Hills Library Director

Reading is a leisure activity for the most part. Some people read as a part of their job (unfortunately, working in a library does not pay you to read), but once you are done with schooling most people who voluntarily read do so because they enjoy it. Now we know that it’s also good for their well-being.

A study done by the New York Public Library of nearly 2,000 users reported overwhelmingly positive effects of public library usage. People said that visiting the library resulted in calm and peaceful feelings (92%), increased their desire to learn new things (90%), and supported their personal growth (88%). In addition to the benefits for individuals, respondents also indicated that they had a greater sense of optimism about the future, more feelings of empathy towards others, and felt that they are a part of a larger community around them.

Now you might say, wait a minute, that seems a bit biased. One of the biggest public libraries did a study and showed they are doing good things. We don’t need a research study for that, we know we do good things. Well sometimes it is good to have the data to back up your claims, and we’ve got it.

We collect comment forms from library users to both inform the provision of services but to also measure how people are feeling about the library. We send out random email surveys to ask users if they would recommend the library to friends and family, which results in a measurement called the Net Promoter Score (NPS). Anything above 50 is considered good. Our scores are consistently in the 90’s. We know that people like us, and we know we make a difference in people’s lives. Please ask for a comment form at a service desk and share your story with us, we love to hear them.

It’s one of the reasons why we are excited about the location of our new building in St. Joseph. Being located close to the center of health care in our community will give us more opportunities to show the connection between literacy and improved life outcomes. Checking out books for leisure reading, doing crafts, and listening to lectures all contribute to increased wellness and greater satisfaction with daily life. We look forward to having outdoor spaces and access to walking paths for fitness.

It is a trying time for many in our community. The library can offer a sense of hope when all else seems dark. It can give you a sense of direction, make you feel useful, connect you to others in the community, and give you a moment of respite when you need to escape the stress of reality.

We really are doing good work.