Paging through options for seniors at the T.O. Library

LISA ADAMS/T.O.A. COME TO THE LIBRARY-Steve Brogdan, director, left, and Nancy Sevier, deputy director, address the Thousand Oaks Council on Aging on library services.

By Heather Milo

Acorn Staff Writer

Discovering that the library is more than just books, the Thousand Oaks Council on Aging was regaled with the wealth of options for seniors at branches of the Thousand Oaks library. In this last council meeting before the summer break, library Director Steve Brogdan and Deputy Director Nancy Sevier visited the council and detailed programs tailored to the tastes and needs of seniors, from homebound programs to genealogical research specialists.

Brogdan said that the three components of a library are its facilities, its collection and its staff. The library on Janss Road is approximately 60,000 square feet, with the Newbury Park branch covering another 21,000 square feet. "The entire library system is one of the most heavily used in the state, and the country," said Brogdan. It is the second most utilized in California, and the 15th in America.

The collection is due in large part to the library’s solid materials budget, thanks to the City Council. "You name it, we probably have it," Brogdan said.

The staff consists of many members with masters’ degree graduates and beyond. The library prides itself on its customer-service orientation. "It’s the heart of what we do. People are our business."

Two service groups, the Friends of the Thousand Oaks Library, and the Thousand Oaks Library Foundation, also strengthen the library’s reserves. The Friends is a more grassroots organization, and interested parties may join for a small membership fee. The foundation is responsible for behind the scenes projects, including overseeing the largest collection of radio scripts in the world.

A new computer catalog online, www.tol.lib.ca.us, is a remarkable improvement from what the library had previously, said Brogdan. It is much simpler to use, and also offers summaries and cover shots of more recent titles.

Brogdan is also looking forward to the new police resource center which will be opening up this summer in the Newbury Park branch. "We’re very excited about the people who are going to be there. Craig Adford, Grace Brown—these are very wonderful people, and we are lucky to have them," he said.

Sevier said the well-organized collection has 375,000 items between the two locations. A well-trained and friendly staff welcomes the opportunity to answer questions. An extensive collection on retirement living, estate planning, golf, fitness and health and travel may all appeal especially to seniors. A collection of videos includes feature films and classics, especially older films which may be more difficult to find in video stores. DVD’s are also part of the library’s stock. A total of 10,000 nonfiction, or instructional, videos are free of charge.

"I think one of my favorite parts"—here Sevier drew a fluffy, pale creature from a nearby tote bag—"is the puppet collection." A white and fawn-colored stuffed owl fluttered from the place her arm used to be. Sevier smiled as she talked about the reasons grandchildren would enjoy a trip to the library, too.

Books on tape total about 10,000 items as well. They are also referred to as "spoken word books," and Sevier said they are very popular for people who commute to work.