Your Library Connection

A Glimpse of the Future Independence Public Library?
December Library Connection

Imagine entering the new facility known as the Independence Public Library.  You plan to go to the quiet reading area and catch up on the local and national news.  As you make your way to that area, you pass the brochures, pamphlets, and flyers, seeing that city and county information and maps are available as well as information about community events and various informational brochures.  There is a programming room where a couple is presenting their travels to the country of Turkey using a multimedia projector.  Close by is the reference area, where a librarian is helping to answer a question about starting a small business.  The young adult section is a lively area with kids having a discussion at a table while others are browsing through magazines.  You can tell that a fun place for teens to hang out is appreciated in our relatively small town.  You can see the teens, but you don’t hear them, as they are in a separate section that is closed off primarily by glass walls.  In the children’s section, you see kids sharing books with each other, checking for a favorite author on the computerized card catalog, and little ones gathering for a storytime.  Close by are the computers, and one of the patrons is accessing tax forms online while another is e-mailing her granddaughter in Colorado.  As you get a cup of coffee and settle in with your newspaper, you see one of your friends.  She has been in a wheelchair for more than 20 years, and is excited about being able to easily access all areas and materials in the library.  She is especially happy that she can browse all the books now that they are on one level.  It’s been a while since you’ve been in a library, and you note that the library has become more than a storehouse for materials and a place to check out the latest bestseller.  This is a place where pride in the community is fostered, where kids have their own space, information is found, and life-long learning is accessible to all.  It is a place where your quality of life is enriched, and there is truly something for everyone.

The Independence Public Library Trustees and the City Council of Independence have begun to discuss the possibility of a new library facility.  We are at the beginning stages, and welcome your input and ideas.  The library board and director feel strongly that we keep you, the community, informed and involved in the library and with any new developments.  Whose library will it be?  It will be yours and your family’s library.  That’s why we would like your involvement in the process.  In the future, we will ask for your input through community forums, surveys, and other formal methods.  Do not feel you have to wait for surveys or meetings, as your ideas are welcome any time.  Talk with the city council, the library board, or myself about those ideas.  What is needed as much as your ideas is your participation on the library building committee (at the library on the third Thursday of each month at 6:30 pm unless otherwise noted on the agenda) and on the Friends of the Library (currently meeting the second Saturday of each month at 10 am).  Contact Laura Blaker (334-2470 or lblaker@indytel.com) or a library board member (Craig Ankerstjerne, Ronda Howard, Jacquie McTaggart, Nancy Muir, Bill Stamper, Mary Stevenson, and Mark White) about joining us in our effort.

A town that can offer a quality library with great service, programming, and materials is a magnet for possible residents and businesses considering the area.  It can help to level the playing field for kids (and adults) who would not otherwise have access to computers, information, programs, reading, listening, and viewing materials.  We want our library to be a vital part of the community and educational infrastructure, making our town a better place.  Our community needs a library that can provide the above services, so let’s join together in an effort to work towards that goal!

Library Tidbits:

January through March I will be on maternity leave and suggest contacting a board member (names listed in article above) with library facility ideas and concerns during that time.  Thank you!  –Laura

Storytimes are available for ages 3-8.  Monday evenings at 7:00 will be our storytime for 3-8 year olds.  Wednesday mornings at 9:30 will be a special storytime for the younger children, ages 3-5.  Hope to see you there!

Special library hours over the holidays will be:
Dec. 24  10:00 – 1:00
Dec. 25                   Closed for Christmas
Dec. 27                   10:00 – 5:00
Dec. 31                   10:00 – 1:00
Jan. 1                      Closed for New Years
Jan. 3                      10:00 – 5:00

Computer classes will resume in January.  Watch the Bulletin Journal or our website (www.indylibrary.org) for the specific classes, dates, and times.

Ever want a quick update about what’s happening at the library?  Go to www.indylibrary.org and click on Calendar of Events at the bottom of the page.  There are many other resources on our website as well, so explore!

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