Greetings from the Mayville Library! This is an unprecedented time in our history due to COVID-19. I am unsure of what the future holds, but know that we will get through it together. Looking back on the previous year, I am excited about the programming and services that we offered to our community.
We had a total of 17,939 patrons come through our doors and check out 26,930 items. These items included books, audio books, magazines, dvds and electronic books. Each year we see an increase in the use of electronic materials, but people still want to read “real” books. We have an online presence through our website, FaceBook and Instagram. This has been especially helpful during the COVID pandemic. We are able to keep in touch with patrons, while also providing digital resources. Our intenet speed is operating at around100 mbps and the wi-fi is available to patrons 24/7. Last year, we had 3,312 patrons use the public computers and 1,482 patrons access the wi-fi.
We have several opportunities for adults to gather at the library. The Tuesday knitting group meets at 1:30 pm and welcomes new members. This year, we began a “Tea on Tuesday” event on the third Tuesday of each month. We provide tea and a few goodies and our patrons bring their favorite baked goods as well. The Tuesday club meets on the first Tuesday of each month (August – November and April – June). They have an interesting speaker each month and also welcome new members. The book club meets on the second Tuesday of each month to discuss the month’s selection. We have hosted 3 VITA tax sessions and programs for Alzheimer’s caregivers.
One of my favorite things to do is to read to children. Story hour is offered at 4:00 pm on Mondays. We read a variety of stories, play games, sing songs and do crafts. Last year we had 432 children attend these sessions. Our Summer Reading Program is also popular – last year we had 232 children attend 14 programs and explore a “Universe of Stories”. This year’s theme is “Imagine Your Story”. On Halloween, we handed out over 200 books to the kids – it was so fun to watch their excitement.
We held 3 book sales last year (in addition to our ongoing sale). Our other big fundraiser is the dinner/auction at Webb’s in September. This is one of my favorite events because it brings the community together for a fun night to raise money for the library.
We revised our mission statement last year to read “The purpose of the Mayville Library is to promote lifelong learning, strengthen community connections and offer opportunities for creativity and exploration.” It is my goal to embrace that statement each day!
Melissa Bartok
Library Director