The New Library Director

 

Jessica Hudson Appointed Fairfax County Public Library Director

April 26, 2016

News Highlights 

       Jessica Hudson will begin her duties Monday, June 13

       Served in increasingly responsible positions in California library systems

       Succeeds Edwin "Sam" Clay III, who retired March 22

 

At its meeting today, the Board of Supervisors confirmed the appointment of Jessica Hudson as the next director of the Fairfax County Public Library, effective Monday, June 13. The Fairfax County Public Library Board of Trustees appointed Hudson at its meeting on April 20. Hudson succeeds Edwin “Sam” Clay III, who retired March 22. 

As the library director, Hudson will oversee a $27.9 million system that includes eight regional libraries, 14 community libraries, Access Services for people with disabilities, plus 433 merit employees. The library’s collection encompasses more than 2.3 million items available for check out from library branches. Close to 34,000 digital items are available for download including eBooks, eAudiobooks and eVideos. 

Hudson has served in increasingly responsible positions in California library systems. She is currently the county librarian for the Contra Costa County Library in Pleasant Hill, Calif., where Hudson oversees 26 public libraries with a budget of $28 million annually and staff of 350. As part of her responsibilities, she works with 19 separate communities to assess needed updates and improvements in services, facilities, staffing levels, technology and materials 

Prior to her current position, Hudson was the county librarian for the Nevada County Library in Nevada City, Calif., from December 2011 to April 2014. There she worked with the county leadership to ensure that the citizen feedback loop was open, wrote and administered grants and implemented a lean staffing model for a new technology center. From January 2011 to December 2011, she was the county librarian for Tehama County Library in Red Bluff, Calif. 

Hudson began her library career as a library aide in 2001. She moved up as a library assistant and branch manager before becoming a county librarian in January 2011. 

Hudson has a master’s in library science from San Jose State University and a bachelor’s of business administration from California State University, Sacramento. An active member of the California Library Association, Hudson has presented on a variety of management-related topics for the association including employee morale, floating the collection, flexible staffing models and skills for new supervisors at California Library Association meetings.

New Library Director Appointed by Library Board

Jessica Allyson Hudson Appointed

Fairfax County Public Library Director

At its meeting last night, the Fairfax County Library Board of Trustees appointed Jessica A. Hudson as the next director of the Fairfax County Public Library, effective Monday, June 13. Hudson succeeds Edwin "Sam" Clay III who retired March 22. The Fairfax County Board of Supervisors is expected to confirm the appointment at its next meeting.

Hudson has served in increasingly responsible positions in California library systems. She is currently the county librarian for the Contra Costa County Library in Pleasant Hill, Calif., where Hudson oversees 26 public libraries with a budget of $28 million annually and staffof  350. As part of her responsibilities, she works with 19 separate communities to assess needed updates and improvements in services, facilities, staffing levels, technology and materials

Prior to her current position, Hudson was the county librarian for the Nevada County Library in Nevada City, Calif., from December 2011 to April2014. There she worked with the county leadership to ensure that the citizen feedback loop was open, wrote and administered grants and implemented a lean staffing model for a new technology center. From January 2011 to December 2011, she was the county librarian for Tehama County Library in Red Bluff, Calif.

Hudson began her library career as a library aide in 2001. She moved up as a library assistant and branch manager before becoming a county librarian in January 2011.

Hudson has a master's in library science from San Jose State University and a bachelor's of business administration from California State University, Sacramento.

Fairfax County is committed to nondiscrimination on the basis of disability in all county programs, services and activities. To request this information in an alternate format, call 703-324-8380,  TTY 703-324-8365.

Fairfax County Public Library

12000 Government Center Parkway, Suite 324

Fairfax, Virginia 22035

Media Contact: Mary Mulrenan

703-324-8319,  TTY 703-324-8365 mary.mulrenan@fairfaxcounty.gov April21, 2016

23-16

New Library Director to be Appointed April 20, 2016

Charles Fegan has called a meeting of the Library Board for the purpose of appointing a new Library Director.  The meeting is at Richard Byrd Library at 6 PM, April 20, 2016.

As Library Funding Wanes, So Does Their Usage

From an article in The Atlantic:

Fewer Americans are Visiting Libraries --- and Technology Isn't to Blame

A curious phenomenon is gripping public libraries in the United States.

On the one hand, Americans still adore their libraries. According to a new Pew Research study, 76 percent of Americans say that libraries well serve the needs of their community. And since 78 percent of Americans say they’ve been to a local public library ever, it seems that nearly everyone who’s been to a local library at least once in their lives approves of them.

Yet on the other hand, fewer and fewer Americans are using the institutions every year. In the 12 months before the most recent Pew survey was given, only 44 percent of Americans visited a local library or bookmobile. Three years earlier 53 percent of Americans had visited a library or bookmobile.
In other words, library usage is falling. But why?


The rest of the article is here:

http://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2016/04/americans-like-their-libraries-but-they-use-them-less-and-less-pew/477336/

Schools and Libraries Are Like.....

 Schools and libraries

 are like billboards 

that tell the world a lot 

about the community living there.

 Jon Clark, Treasurer,
Mason District Council
Fairfax County, Virginia

 

Moira Callaghan's Statement to Board of Supervisors at Public Hearing on Budget

Madam Chairman, Board Supervisors:

I am a mother of three.  I am a teacher.  I am an avid user of the library. 

 

·         Libraries have the privilege of instilling a love of learning in all

·         Libraries help individuals and families save money

When my children were young we attended many library programs.  I take my children to the library every other week to check out books and other materials.  My children ask to go to the library.  

I also use the library for my job.  I use books from the library in my classroom.  I check out about 15-30 books every other week.

Fairfax County is growing and its library system should grow with its population.

·         Fairfax County has more than 3,300 home schooled children, which is more than any other district.  Home school teachers rely on the library.

·         In 2012 the head of the Fairfax County library system stated that the “future direction” of the library was to transition from “a print environment to a digital environment.”

·         Hundreds of thousands of books have been discarded.  It is my understanding libraries are still questionably discarding books.

·         Spending time reading a book with a child is incredibly special.  No matter if it is a child in my classroom who hands me a book and plops down in my lap or with my own child snuggled in bed.

·         Studies show that students retain less when reading from a screen.

·         A San Jose University study titled Reading Behavior in the Digital Environment, Changes in Reading Behavior over the Past Ten Years found that  nearly 90% percent of college students favor print media.

·         Research shows that Millenials are rejecting e-books. Independent bookstores are thriving and e-books sales are down. Even Amazon is opening bookstores. 

·         The North American president for Pearson, the largest publisher in the world and the dominant player in Fairfax County’s Public School’s educational materials, said the move to digital “doesn’t look like a revolution right now. It looks like an evolution, and it’s lumpy at best.”   

·         Investment in technology is expensive and quickly becomes outdated. 

·         Fairfax County spends the lowest per capita amount on its libraries of any jurisdiction in the Washington area.  Why is this?

Funding a library is an investment in a community.   

·         The other day, my children wanted to go to the library.  It was closed due to recently reduced hours.   Last week I purchased a book for my daughter because the library didn’t have enough copies.  

In closing I’d like to share the profound words of my daughter, age 14:

“Libraries are equalizers.”

Moira Callaghan

Reston, VA

Source: The Decade-long Detrioration of the Fairfax County Public Library System,

Reston Citizens Association, Reston 2020 Committee