Developing a team management structure in a public library

Library Trends, Summer, 2004 by Betsy A. Bernfeld

THE TETON COUNTY LIBRARY EXPERIENCE

Teton County, Wyoming, lies in the northwest corner of the state just south of Yellowstone National Park. It encompasses Grand Teton National Park and the high valley that is commonly known as Jackson Hole. There are a number of small towns within the valley; the largest is Jackson, with a population of 8,647 according to the 2000 Census. The year-round population of the entire county is reported to be 18,251, but that number easily triples with seasonal workers and summer residents between May and September. Because housing prices in Jackson Hole have climbed the same steep path as other resort areas, many year-round workers live in adjacent Wyoming counties or in Idaho. The Teton County Library thus serves a much larger population than 18,251.

Another factor related to library service in Teton County is the isolation of the community, especially in winter. The only university library in the state is in the southeast corner of the state, about a seven hour drive from Teton County. The closest major public library is in Salt Lake City, about five hours away in good weather. While Jackson Hole has an airport that is serviced by fair-sized jets and maintains primary two-lane highways leading out of the mountains in three directions, travel of any kind may turn hazardous during September through June. Telecommunications from the valley are like the highways--somewhat narrow; there is limited access to high-speed T1 or DSL lines. If people need access to a library or a fast Internet connection, they tend to count on the Teton County Library.

The backwaters of Wyoming have provided no sanctuary from the tempests currently hitting public libraries. The demand for ever-changing, sophisticated technology is definitely present, as are pressing requests for service that outstrip funding increases.

The people of Teton County tend to be highly educated (53.1 percent of people twenty-five and older hold college degrees according to the 2000 Census); many seasonal workers are college students, and many new residents have moved to the area from large urban centers, bringing with them a high level of technological savvy and expectations. In the space of six years, Teton County Library has gone from housing fifteen computers to more than ninety, to say nothing of the additional servers, the stack of hubs, and the multitude of printers. Wireless access to the library's network is offered to patrons with laptops, and, to keep everything safe, a firewall has been installed and virus protection is updated several times per week.

In addition to the high-tech crowd, the general population of Jackson Hole is full of recreational readers, and there is a high demand for library programs. More and more distance students utilize the library each year, as does a growing group of migrant workers from Mexico who fill service jobs and speak little or no English. In its most recent strategic planning process, the library has been charged by county residents to be an entryway into the community for Latinos.