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Communities Thrive @ Your Library
The Brumback Library will celebrate National Library Week April 12th through April 17th. This year’s theme, entitled “Communities Thrive @ Your Library,” seeks to recognize the contributions of our nation’s libraries while promoting library use and support. Numerous activities have been planned at Main Library and at each of the five branch sites in honor of the week-long celebration :
Monday, April 12th
Main Library
Head Start Story Time at 10:00 a.m.
Calvary Preschool Story Time at 11:00 a.m.
Mother Goose Story Time for infants and toddlers at 6:15 p.m.
Family Story Night at 6:45 p.m. featuring Mrs. BarB Thompson, Mr. Larry Oeschle, and Mr. Gary Taylor. Walk-in crafts will be offered all day in the Children’s Department.
Willshire Branch -- Open House from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.;Children’s Story Time at 6:00 p.m.
Tuesday, April 13th
Main Library
Vantage Preschool Story Time at 9:00 a.m. and 1:00 p.m.
Mother Goose Story Time at 10:00 a.m.
Walk-in crafts will be offered all day in the Children’s Department.
Convoy Branch -- After school crafts beginning at 3:00 p.m.
Middle Point Branch -- Open House from 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.
Wren Branch -- Open House from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.
Wednesday, April 14th
Main Library
Wee Care Learning Center Story Time at 9:00 a.m.
Preschool Story Time at 10:00 a.m.
Head Start Story Time at 11:00 a.m. and 2:00 p.m.
Walk-in crafts will be offered all day in the Children’s Department.
Convoy Branch --Preschool Story Time at 10:00 a.m. After school crafts beginning at 3:00 p.m.
Middle Point Branch -- Walk-in crafts from 4:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Thursday, April 15th
Main Library
Thomas Edison Story Time at 9:15 a.m.
Preschool Story Time at 10:00 a.m.
Calvary Preschool Story Time at 11:00 a.m.
Walk-in crafts will be offered all day in the Children’s Department.
Convoy Branch -- Family Story Night with guest readers at 7:00 p.m.
Ohio City Branch -- Open House from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. Family Story Time at 6:00 p.m.
Wren Branch -- Walk-in crafts from 2:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Friday, April 16th
Main Library
Walk-in crafts will be offered all day in the Children’s Department.
Saturday, April 17th
Main Library
Spring Book Sale from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. in the Reading Room.
Walk-in crafts will be offered all day in the Children’s Department.
National Library Week began in 1958 as an event sponsored by the American Library Association. A variety of programs and activities are held this week to celebrate the many resources, activities, and services the public library offers the public. Mark your calendars and plan to celebrate National Library Week with us!
F.Y.I.
The current financial crisis which is affecting our state, as well as our country, has made its impact on the Brumback Library too. In light of these economic forces that govern our loss of funding and continue to challenge our day-to-day operations, the following overview will examine the various elements which play a key role in carrying out library services to the residents of Van Wert County.
Funding
Funding via the State of Ohio’s Public Library Fund (PLF) has fallen for the third straight month this year.The decline in revenues is twofold. First, following the June /July 2009 budget talks and debates in Columbus, Ohio legislators, in conjunction with Governor Strickland, produced and passed a budget the second week in July. The Governor originally sought to reduce Public Library funding by 50%. Following a massive outcry from Ohio’s devoted library users however, a compromise was reached whereby Ohio’s public libraries would receive 1.97% of the total State funds collected, as opposed to the 2.22% allocation determined the previous year. At the time the budget was passed, the Department of Taxation, the Office of Budget and Management, and the Ohio Library Council speculated that there would be a decline in overall revenue to the State’s 251 public libraries, although no estimates were provided. When the Ohio Department of Taxation released the 2010 estimate of the Public Library Fund entitlement, the guaranteed share for the two Van Wert County libraries was $922,514.02. The 82% distribution awarded to our Library was equal to $756,461.40. Subsequent estimates issued on December 23, 2009, stated that the Brumback Library’s PLF income was $705,652.85. (An estimate in January verified this smaller amount.) When our library budget was passed in December 2009, a conservative estimate of $620,000.00 was anticipated from the PLF. According to Lynda Murray of the Ohio Library Council, a 7% decrease over 2009’s income of $757,000.00 was realistic in terms of financial losses. Ohio’s 251 public libraries were also informed that the first four months of 2010 would be a time of significant decreases in funding. Estimates provided by the Ohio Department of Taxation confirmed these losses.
After April 2010, future disbursements from the PLF will purportedly increase slightly, although there could be a minimal decrease one or two months. If the PLF should decrease more than 7%, the Brumback Library’s budget, based on an 18% decrease, will allow room for further adjustments. If funding decreases more than 18%, additional budget cuts will be forthcoming.
Circulation/Usage
Despite the budget cuts and freezes which have transpired since 2002, the Brumback Library has continued to meet the informational, recreational, and research reading needs of Van Wert County’s many residents. The Library has accomplished this task by continually allocating a substantial portion of its budget for the purchase of print and nonprint materials. From 1992 to the present, over 150,000 items have been added to the Library’s holdings. These additions have formed a wide subject area to meet patron F.Y.I. needs and interests. Now with over 210,000 items, the Brumback Library has the 44th largest collection in Ohio and the largest rural materials collection in the state.
With the Library’s renovation and the construction of the Reed Memorial Addition, plus the improvement and expansion of the branch library facilities, many area residents have availed themselves to the resources that we offer. The print and nonprint collections central to the Library’s mission have met, and continue to meet, patron needs.
Buildings and Grounds
The residents of Van Wert County are fortunate to have an outstanding structure which serves as its Main Library thanks to the generosity of John Sanford Brumback and generations of Brumback family members, together with Ellen and Orville Reed, the grandchildren of Mr. Brumback. The interior and exterior of this facility and its grounds is the result of excellent taste, dedicated planning, attention to detail, and continued maintenance in making certain that this literary home remains a vibrant, well cared for legacy for all to enjoy. In order to effectively and efficiently care for the upkeep of this structure, it is imperative to have diligent individuals tending to the building and grounds, as well as a financial base to cover necessary expenses. Throughout our 109 year history, in both good times and bad, the Library has been well loved and maintained. With the passage of the Branch Improvement Plan designed by the Director and approved by the Brumback Library Board of Trustees in 1998, four branch buildings were newly built and/or renovated, greatly improving their physical structures to welcome larger print and nonprint collections as well as increased patron usage. The Main Library and its branch sites in Convoy, Middle Point, Ohio City, Willshire, and Wren are well utilized, maintained, and loved. Here, children and adults have access to a myriad of materials, plus services and programming efforts which seek to educate and culturally enlighten Van Wert’s residents while reinforcing a strong sense of community.
Staffing
The library is a center of lifelong learning. An integral component of the Brumback Library is our dedicated, knowledgeable, and hard-working staff. Having over 25,000 registered patrons, the Library’s personnel aids the Director in selecting print and nonprint resources, assists patrons in their search for materials, and answers reference questions while providing accurate, up-to-date information for the masses. Whether using the online catalog, instructing patrons in the use of the Internet, answering genealogy/local history questions, or conducting story time sessions, staff members are instrumental in carrying out the Library’s mission, each and every day. In 1991, the staff was comprised of twenty-four individuals including the Director, librarians, library clerks, branch librarians, and custodian. Due to funding constraints and retirements however, the size of the staff now numbers fifteen employees. These individuals, along with the Director, comprise a core group that is dedicated to providing quality library service to thousands of Brumback Library visitors each year. By cross-training the employees and implementing time-saving technological developments, most staff members can work at the branches and/or different departments at Main Library. Varied in their strengths and areas of knowledge,the library is blessed to have such a hard-working and committed staff.
Counting Our Blessings
Although 2009 offered significant challenges due to major cuts in State funding, the Brumback Library is grateful that record numbers of patrons, both young and old alike, continue to avail themselves to the materials, resources, services, and pro-gramming efforts that we offer. Over 25,800 active library users, 87% of Van Wert County’s population, borrowed 640,776 print and nonprint items from the Library’s collection last year. Books, E-books, books on CD and cassette, CD’s, DVD’s, and videos, plus a number of other items comprise a collection that presently exceeds 209,000 works. 10,046 items were added to the reference and circulating collections in 2009, one-third of which were donations. Since 1992, the reference collection has more than tripled in size. The Genealogy/Local History collection has likewise grown. 319 periodicals and 64 newspapers are now offered to the public, along with an extensive vertical file of local history items. In the 2008 ranking of Ohio’s 251 public libraries, the Brumback Library’s collection ranked 44th in size, while our total circulation ranked 64th.
The Library continues to nurture and sustain a love of reading, learning, discovery, and culture. In addition to offering a myriad of reading resources, we offer a variety of programs at Main Library and the five branch sites. In 2009, 1,814 Van Wert County children participated in a wide range of Summer Reading activities. Infants, toddlers, preschoolers, and schoolage children enrolled in our 94th annual program, reading over 73,000 books during an eight week period in June and July. Based on the theme, “Be Creative at Your Library,” the Fort Wayne Museum of Art, the Fort Wayne Ballet, the Mossburg Strings, Kim Hohman’s Dance-Works, and the Mad Cap Puppet Theatre, plus numerous other groups and individuals, presented an impressive array of programs and events. To reward the children for their reading accomplishments, a carnival served as a culminating event. We were extremely blessed that over forty area businesses and countless other donors helped to underwrite the costs of this program. The Young Adult, Adult, and Homebound Summer Reading Programs established a new record too with over 5,000 participants collectively.
In 2009, the Reference Department answered over 13,800 questions Although the majority of these were either in-house or telephone inquiries, we received a growing number of requests for information via e-mail and regular mail. Homework assistance for elementary and middle school students, along with research help for high school and college students, kept our librarians very busy!
Technologically speaking, there were upgrades to the Internet workstations in the Adult and Children’s Departments (as well as the branches). These upgrades included enhancements to the wireless system at Main Library too.
Ongoing maintenance at the Main Library and the branch sites included the replacement of a small roof, repairs to the HVAC system, various painting projects, and other projects too numerous to mention.
While our circulation, programming, and outreach efforts have grown greatly however, funding has not. Since 2002, the Brumback Library, like each of Ohio’s public libraries, has experienced declining income. Then in June 2009, Governor Ted Strickland proposed a 50% cut in public library funding to balance the state budget. Such a move would have been catastrophic! Thousands upon thousands of Ohio residents though (many from Van Wert County) contacted the Governor, as well as their local Senators and Representatives, to protest. Thankfully, because of this unprecedented response, the Governor’s plan was rejected. Nevertheless, a 20% cut to the Public Library Fund, otherwise known as the PLF, occurred. The Brumback Library lost over $180,000 in funding. And altogether, our library will have lost nearly $385,000 in overall funding from 2008 through 2010.
To make ends meet, the Brumback Library made cuts in staffing and purchasing. While the staff received a 10% cut in salary, the Director voluntarily cut his salary 10%. (This was Mr. Carr’s fourth cut in salary from 2002 to 2009.) Hours of service were marginally trimmed at Main Library and the branches. Through the generosity and kindness of many individuals and area organizations, the Brumback Library received numerous monetary and material donations, particularly during the last six months of the year. The Board of Trustees, Director, Staff, and Volunteers are extremely appreciative and thankful for this assistance. Your help and support is truly a blessing!
In 2010, the Library will continue to be good stewards of the funding resources which are entrusted to our care. Having struggled financially for over seven years, we are most grateful to those who approved the Library levy in 2005. With these additional funds, the Library has been able to maintain its facilities and services to the public. Collectively, we diligently work to ensure that the Brumback Library remains a vital place of learning and discovery for one and all. We encourage Van Wert County residents to make use of the wide array of materials and services which we offer in this lifelong center of learning.
Spring Book Sale
Our semi-annual book sale will beheld on Saturday, April 17th from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. in the Reading Room at Main Library. Books for adults and children, plus encyclopedias, magazines, videos, and other materials will be available for purchase.
Going, Going, Gone
We’ve started Spring Cleaning! Hats, gloves, mittens, scarves, jackets, coats, and a few pairs of boots have accumulated at the Library over the winter months, waiting for their owners to claim them. Patrons who believe they may have left an item behind, are encouraged to inquire at the Library’s Circulation Desk. All unclaimed items will be donated to the Salvation Army after Memorial Day.
Holiday Closing
In observance of Memorial Day weekend, Main Library and each of the five branch library sites will be closed from Saturday, May 29th through Monday, May 31st All libraries will resume their regularly scheduled hours on Tuesday, June 1st.
Thank You, Parkway Elementary
Thank you for generously donating so many wonderful children’s titles to the Willshire Library. Your thoughtfulness and consideration are appreciated more than we can say!
Bestsellers Currently Available
Fiction
The Help by Stockett
House Rules by Picoult
The Silent Sea by Cussler with Du Brul
Think Twice by Scottoline
Abraham Lincoln : Vampire Hunter by Grahame-Smith
Angelology by Trussoni
Big Girl by Steel
Worst Case by Patterson & Ledwidge
Split Image by Parker
The Girl Who Chased the Moon by Allen
Backlash by Allston
Her Mother’s Hope by Rivers
The Lost Symbol by Brown
Deep Shadow by White
Hell Gate by Fairstein
The Spellmans Strike Again by Lutz
Nonfiction
The Big Short by Lewis
Chelsea Chelsea Bang Bang by Handler
Courage and Consequence by Rove
The Pacific by Ambrose
Change Your Brain, Change Your Body by Amen
Game Change by Heilemann & Halperin
American Conspiracies by Ventura with Russell
The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Skloot
Have a Little Faith by Albom
No Apology by Romney
Son of Hamas by Yousef with Brackin
Outliers by Gladwell
Lies the Government Told You by Napolitano
Drive by Pink
Where Mercy is Shown, Mercy is Given by Chapman with Morton
Every Day in Tuscany by Mayes
Notable Titles
Fiction
The Bone Thief by Bass
The Convenient Marriage by Heyer
Gator A-Go-Go by Dorsey
Known to Evil by Mosley
The Last Surgeon by Palmer
The Mapping of Love and Death by Winspear
My Father’s Tears by Updike
The Pallbearers by Cannell
Shattered by Robards
The Sheen on the Silk by Perry
Slumdog Millionaire by Swarup
So Much for That by Shriver
Nonfiction
Abigail Adams by Holton
The American Reader
Citizens of London by Olson
The Devil’s Casino by Ward
The Diabetes DTOUR Diet by Quinn
The English Reader
First Dogs by Rowan & Janis
The Genius in All of Us by Shenk
The Golf Book
The Happiness Project by Rubin
Healthy Choices Cookbook
The Male Brain by Brizendine
Why I Stayed by Haggard with Hunt
Update 4/8/10
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