INQUIRING MINDS WANT TO KNOW
The need to know, something, has lead to an explosion of inquiries at county library system reference desks. Between fiscal year 1988 and 1989, the number of reference queries answered by county librarians jumped 18.5% at the 27 branches. The most such questions--more than 150,000-- were handled in Westminster; the fewest, 10,274, at Seal Beach (Leisure World).
The largest percentage jump, however, was at Irvine’s Heritage Park branch. And in six cases, the total number of reference questions actually dropped. Here’s the picture at all the branches, listed in terms of percentage increase:
July 1987- July 1988- Percentage City June 1988 June 1989 Change Irvine-Heritage Park 6,001 71,702 +1,094.8 Crown Valley (South County) 16,847 77,012 +357.1 Costa Mesa Main 42,672 70,787 +65.8 Brea 29,857 42,071 +40.9 Mission Viejo 67,037 87,002 +29.8 Garden Grove-Chapman 19,705 25,482 +29.3 El Toro 100,329 126,302 +25.9 Fountain Valley 32,763 40,571 +23.8 La Palma 18,877 23,069 +22.2 Garden Grove-West 24,929 29,779 +19.5 Seal Beach-Mary Wilson 27,990 33,218 +18.7 Cypress 32,932 38,595 +17.2 Silverado 9,113 10,486 +15.1 Stanton 14,661 16,540 +12.8 Westminster 134,786 150,475 +11.6 Villa Park 16,248 17,702 +8.9 Laguna Beach 40,017 43,305 +8.2 Costa Mesa-Mesa Verde 62,923 66,474 +5.6 Seal Beach-Leisure World 9,737 10,274 +5.5 Tustin 46,616 47,715 +2.4 San Juan Capistrano 97,627 99,541 +2.0 San Clemente 43,780 42,091 -3.9 Garden Grove-Regional 54,776 51,128 -6.7 Irvine-University Park 99,089 89,617 -9.6 Dana Niguel 47,787 42,796 -10.4 La Habra 56,263 48,333 -14.1 Los Alamitos-Rossmoor 71,004 49,265 -30.6 TOTAL SYSTEM 1,224,366 1,451,332 +18.5
Source: Orange County Public Library