Libraries Take A Snapshot

A day in the life of the library — that's the subject of Snapshot Day, a program designed by the California Library Association that is new this year.

"We want to know what really goes on in a public library in a day," said Janis O'Driscoll, Manager of Programs and Partnerships at Santa Cruz Public Libraries.

And the libraries need a few volunteers to help that day, she said.

O'Driscoll rattles off the various areas that will be counted: Number of books checked out, computer use — including those who bring their own, library card holders, the number of hits on the website, how much the library databases are used.

But, she adds, the Santa Cruz libraries will be counting more than is required by the state.

"We're looking at a lot of the background stuff," she said.

The state designed the day to give the community a snapshot of its local libraries.

"Snapshot Day will help CLA capture data to create a compelling picture of library services in California," according to the state association's website. "The results, which will show how many people use California's libraries on a given day, will provide a critical and invaluable advocacy tool for us all."

A host of activities will be offered at various branches on Snapshot.

• Mother Goose Time, 11-11:30am, Aptos branch
• Toddler Storytime, 11am-noon, Live Oak branch
• Storytime, 11-11:45am, Capitola branch
• Storytime, 11am-12:30pm, Boulder Creek branch
• Preschool Storytime, 11:15-11:45am, Central branch
• Making Friends with Your Computer, 4-5pm, Central branch
• Mickey Magic, 5:30-6:30pm, Live Oak branch
• Harvest Story Telling, 6-7pm, Boulder Creek branch

If you want to volunteer at the library on Wednesday, contact Janis O'Driscoll at odriscollj@santacruzpl.org or call 831-427-7706, ext. 7662.