Hudson Area Joint Library Assessment Report Released

Link to news page of the Hudson Star-Observer. (You'll need to register for a free account to access fulltext of article, "Library undersized and underfunded, report says". )

Excerpt: The 42-page “Hudson Area Joint Library Assessment Report” is dated July 1, 2009, and was received by local library officials on July 13.

Library Board President Jim O’Connor talked about the report in a Monday morning interview at the library, located at 911 Fourth St. in the city of Hudson.

“We want to build public awareness of the need for improved library facilities and what they will provide to the public,” said O’Connor, speaking for members of a special planning committee that is exploring new options for expanding the library.

A plan to purchase the former Nuclear Management Co. building at 700 First St. and convert it into a library was defeated in a referendum last November.

Among the report's findings.
1. Ranks low in the size of its audio and video collections.
2. Has many fewer computers with Internet access than most other public libraries serving similar-size populations.
3. Ranks toward the bottom of its peer libraries in comparisons of the number of full-time-equivalent employees it has (9.91) and the number of hours per week that it is open (56).