Editor, Times-Union: Warsaw Community Public Library thanks the community for supporting the library’s mission and helping us have continued success.
We have just released our 2011 annual report. We encourage readers to pick up copies of this report that can be found in the library, at the local Chamber of Commerce, and the Kosciusko County Community Foundation.
As readers will see, in a difficult year, the Warsaw Community Public Library stood out as a bright spot at the center of our community. When many people found fewer doors open to them, our doors were open to all. In fact, library hours were expanded to 60 per week with four more evening hours for our patrons’ use. Our library was there to address crucial community needs and provide the kind of enriching experiences that are more valued than ever:
– Giving all children equal access to support for success in school
– Helping job seekers and others looking to build skills or make a fresh start
– Supporting families with free activities and books to enjoy together
– Providing satisfying reading, learning, and cultural experiences.
Readers will be amazed at what they discover within the pages of the report!
For instance, did you know that more than half a million visits were made to WCPL last year? Or that 41,479 people used our public computers in 2011 for finding employment, registering for benefits, receiving emails from distant relatives and conducting research?
Cardholders also checked out 317,175 books in 2011. With an average book price of $28.42, Warsaw Library saved our patrons $9,014,113.50 in 2011! In a year full of economic stress, it was Warsaw Library’s privilege to be a source of solutions and savings.
Eight hundred ninety-four programs kept our patrons coming to the library with total program attendance of 16,292. Nearly 2,300 participants played their part in making our Summer Reading Program a blockbuster success. Children read more than 50,000 books with 335 books given away as prizes. Teens read nearly a half a million pages with adults reading more than 1 million pages. Imaginations were opened to a world that TV and video games can’t provide.
We also share highlights of the year and express our appreciation for the critical support provided by our partners. We encourage the community to pick up a copy of our 2011 annual report and discover many more amazing facts and statistics within the pages of our annual report. You will learn that Warsaw Community Public Library is the best deal in town.
Kathy Stutzman Warsaw Community Public Library Public Relations Manager Warsaw, via e-mail
