A presentation by the Sarasota County Library System at the Florida Library Association Conference in Orlando on May 6, 2009

1. “ Maximum Flotation”* Floating Our Collection Sarasota County Library System Florida Library Association May 6, 2009 *An homage to the work of the Multnomah County Library System.

2. Who We Are

3. Who We Are Sources: IMLS and Florida Library Directory with Statistics (FY 2007) 296,520 Borrowers: 2,793,325 Yearly Library Visits: 7.61 Circulation Per Capita: 2,950,144 Total Circulation: 139,794 Audio Visual Materials: 834,452 Print Materials: 387,461 Population Served:

5. Why We Floated

6. Who We Are Courier System Think

7. Who We Are Courier

15. The Collections Part

17. The Details 4-2-2008 Hardback Adult Fiction 9-16-2008 Audiobooks and Music Large Print Fiction YA Fiction Adult Biography VHS Paperbacks YA Nonfiction DVDs Juvenile Materials Spanish Materials Adult Nonfiction April 2008 May 2008 June 2008 July 2008 August 2008 Sept. 2008 Floating Not Floating

18. The Details Aug.-Sept. 2007 April 2008 May-June 2008

20. What Staff Said Our biggest problem with the floating is that we have many shelves that are filled end to end, and the shelvers have no place to shelve a book correctly. It's not that floating doesn't work, it's that it doesn't work for 100% of the collection 100% of the time . Many regular patrons are angry when they look at the catalog and see so many copies at other libraries but nothing here.

22. What Staff Said I love it! This is much more efficient…. I honestly feel more a system person than I ever have in the past. Patrons have told me that their library seems to suddenly have more variety in the DVD collection. Many staff enjoy this type of challenge and I think it is positive to rethink the norm and stretch our potential.

26. The End Part Float like a butterfly, sting like a bee. --Muhammad Ali