River Falls Public Library Director Tanya Misselt updated the club on developments, improvements, and programs at the RFPL. She pointed out during her talk that River Falls has an award-winning library that is well funded through the RFPL Foundation, through direct contributions to the library, and through the city’s budget.
At the conclusion of her presentation, Tanya asked us for help. Because the RFPL wants to be sure the library serves the community’s needs, they will conduct a brainstorming meeting in the lower level of the library on June 28 at 6:30 p.m. Tanya concluded her talk by urging Rotary members to attend.
During the Covid lockdown the library took the opportunity to evaluate all of their processes. Because the evatluation concluded that spending on theft prevention exceeded the value of assets that were lost through theft, the staff reduced that expenditure. As another example of focusing on maximizing cost effectiveness, Tanya said that the cost of wrapping paperback books in plastic cost more than buying a new book if it was damaged.
One of the best investments the RFPL made was a $200,000 automated material handling system. When books or other media are returned through the slot in the library's lobby, they fall onto a conveyer belt and the machine reads a tag on each item and sorts it into the right bucket to be reshelved. The system processes 250,000 items a year, and it has allowed the library to operate with 2 fewer staff people, with the reduction occurring through scheduling changes and not reduction in the number of staff.
The gallery space in the lower level is no longer used as a gallery because a staff person needed to be present every hour that the gallery was open. It is currently used as a meeting room, and some former gallery-type displays are upstairs on the main level. The meeting room off the main lobby is set up as a fun lab for kids.
Another library focus has been on helping people find jobs and helping employers find employees. The RFPL is also hosting programs on environmental topics and mental health concerns as well as hosting a seniors group and a parents group.
While discussing the effects of Covid on the RFPL, Tanya noted that they received many thank-you cards in books returned during the curbside-only phase when so many normal activities were suspended. While far from normal service and activity, what the RFPL did helped many weather some difficult weeks.
About the Speaker:
Tanya Misselt has a B.A. in Sociology from the University of Wisconsin - Madison and a Master's Degree in Library and Information Science from the University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee. After completing her B.A. she first worked in the field of criminal justice. She served as a law enforcement officer for the City of Appleton for eleven years before resigning to stay at home with her two boys and develop a new career.
Tanya's first job in libraries was a part-time position at the reference and information desk at the Appleton Public Library. She spent three years as a school media specialist before getting hired back at the Appleton Public Library as the head of Children's Services. She then served as the Children's Services Supervisor for seven years before coming to River Falls to assume the position of director at the River Falls Public Library. Tanya has been married to her husband Erik for over 30 years. She has two boys in their 20s whom she is very proud of. She enjoys time at their family log cabin in Shawano, Wisconsin on the Wolf River and always has room for more flowers to plant.