Riverside County Library System

Infobox_Library
library_name = Riverside County Library System
library_
location = Library Management Offices
3392 Durahart
Riverside, California 92507, USA
951-369-3003
Fax [phone]
Hours: M-F 8-5
established =
num_branches = 33, and 2 bookmobiles
collection_size = 920,000 books and periodicals
18,900 audio materials (CDs, records, cassettes)
23,000 video items (DVDs and VHS tapes)
annual_circulation = 2,600,000 items
42% are children's materials
1,470,000 visits/year
pop_served = 800,000
budget = $630,000/year
director = Nancy Johnson
num_employees = 126 employees
21 fully accredited librarians
website = www.rivlib.com/default.asp

The Riverside County Library System (RCLS), located in Riverside County, California, United States, is a public library system composed of 33 libraries and two bookmobiles. The RCLS is a member of the Inland Library Network. [cite web |url=http://63.237.164.71/web2/tramp2.exe/log_in?setting_key=english |title=Riverside County Library System |accessdate=2008-06-15 |last= |first= |coauthors= |date= |work= |publisher=Your Electronic Library on the Web] It is the first library system in the nation that turned over its entire operation to a private company.cite news |first= |last= |authorlink= |coauthors= |title=One Year Later: Private Management in Riverside Co., CA |url=http://www.schoollibraryjournal.com/article/CA153209.html |work= |publisher=School Library Journal |date=1998-07-01 |accessdate=2008-06-15]

Management

Prior to July 1997, the Riverside County public libraries were managed by the city of Riverside, California. But when property tax money was diverted from libraries to schools in the early 1990s, the library system began to experience cut in hours, dwindling collections, and staff lay-offs. In July 1997, the county hired Library Systems and Services, Inc., located in Germantown, Maryland to operate its sprawling public library system. All library employees, except for the county librarian, janitorial service, and landscape maintenance, work for the private company. [cite news |first=Norman |last=Oder |authorlink= |coauthors= |title=More on LSSI |url=http://www.libraryjournal.com/article/CA457652.html |work= |publisher=Library Journal |date=2004-10-01 |accessdate=2008-06-16] LSSI divided the library system into three districts, increased hours within each district and added staff. For its success, the RCLS Management Outsourcing Program became the 1998 National Council for Public-Private Partnerships Project Award Winner. [cite web |url=http://www.ncppp.org/cases/riverside.shtml |title=RIVERSIDE COUNTY LIBRARY SYSTEM MANAGEMENT OUTSOURCING PROGRAM |accessdate=2008-06-15 |last= |first= |coauthors= |date= |work= |publisher=ncppp.org]

ervices

* RFID. In June 2007, RCLS announced a county-wide migration to Radio-frequency identification. [cite news |first= |last= |authorlink= |coauthors= |title=Riverside County Library System commits to expanded RFID and PC management |url=http://www.envisionware.com/files/PR_2007_0615_All_Riverside_0.pdf |work=.pdf |publisher=EnvisionWare |date=2007-06-15 |accessdate=2008-06-15annually]
* Riverside County Library Adult Literacy Program, coordinated through program offices in the Glen Avon, Indio, and Temecula libraries.
* Bookletters, an online book review and author information service, includes a list of award winning books, as well as a best-sellers list.
* 1stReads, a book buy/book donation service.
* Live Homework Help, an online, log-in resource for students.

Retrospective

In November 2007, RCLS sponsored a retrospective exhibit of photographs portraying 125 years of Riverside County library history, "The Libraries of Riverside County: A Millennium of Service" in the lobby of the UC Riverside Science Library. It commemorated public, private, academic, medical and tribal libraries in Riverside County. [cite news |first= |last= |authorlink= |coauthors= |title=Exhibit Honors History of Riverside County Libraries |url=http://www.newsroom.ucr.edu/cgi-bin/display.cgi?id=1711 |work= |publisher=Office of Strategic Communications, University of California |date=2007-11-09 |accessdate=2008-06-15]

Members

Bookmobiles

* Coachella Valley Bookmobile
* West County Bookmobile

Libraries

* Anza Valley Community Library
* Calimesa Library
* Canyon Lake Branch Library
* Cathedral City Branch Library
* Coachella Branch Library
* Desert Hot Springs Branch Library
* Eastvale Library
* El Cerrito Library
* Glen Avon Branch Library
* Grace Mellman Community Library
* Highgrove Branch Library
* Home Gardens Library
* Idyllwild Branch Library
* Indio Library
* La Quinta Branch Library
* Lake Elsinore Library
* Lake Tamarisk Library
* Lakeside Branch Library
* Mecca-North Shore Branch Library
* Mission Trail Community Library
* Norco Branch Library
* Nuview Branch Library
* Palm Desert Branch Library
* Paloma Valley Library
* Perris Library
* Riverside Public Library
* Robidoux Branch Library
* Romoland Library
* San Jacinto Branch Library
* Sun City Branch Library
* Temecula Public Library
* Thousand Palms Library
* Valle Vista Library
* Woodcrest Community Library

References

* [http://www.u-s-history.com/ca/p/plca0199.htm Statistics, 2005]

External links

* [http://www.libraries411.com/libraries/librarylocator.php?ls=6410 Location of all branches]