Cleveland Library has to cook its books

Posted June 29, 2009 at 4:00 pm and filed under Community.

Staff reports

About $400,000 worth of Cleveland Library’s books are headed to a shipping container to cook in nearly 100-degree heat until $8,000 in donations can be found to pay for insulation, a combination air conditioner and heater, lights, wiring and finishing materials at the library.

No one at the library can tell how long the book bindings will survive in the hot, dry container temperatures.

The 40-foot container is getting shelving built by the N.C. Baptist Men for use as an on-site bookmobile, which also can be used as an off-site self-contained library. While not as flexible as the customary traveling bookmobile many libraries use, it will hold four times more books and can be moved by crane and truck to a shopping center, church or school parking lot. It will save Cleveland about $320,000.

The independent Cleveland Library on Hwy 42 is several years ahead of schedule on its book acquisition, which is forcing creative solutions to shelving and display. It has received 30,000 books and videos in more than 10 months and is receiving 1,000 or more books per week. The library increased Cleveland’s access to books from the county’s 1.7 books per resident to 3.7 and is on target to reach six by next year, when additional space will be needed.

Hundreds of duplicates or unsuitable books have been purged by University of North Carolina-trained student librarians and sent to other libraries, book exchanges and preschools.

Area residents will have full access to the books as soon as donations arrive and the conversion is completed. Donors and volunteers may contact library staff at 919-661-6565. The all-volunteer library is open Monday and Thursday evenings 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. and Saturdays 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Staff is hoping this week will bring donations, which will permit the work to continue.

By the numbers

  • $400,000 worth of library’s books in dollar amount
  • $8,000 amount needed to protect the books
  • 30,000 books library has received in 10 months
  • 3.7 books per resident library has increased to

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