Library showing circulation increase

Thursday, May 28, 2009

Putnam County Public Library had an increase in its activities for the month of April. Library director Alice Greenburg told board members during the monthly meeting Wednesday, circulation was up by five percent; the bookmobile was up by 18 percent with the same number of stops; and Internet use was up by 30 percent.

Residents searching for jobs have been the main cause for the increase in Internet usage. But the increase left one board member concerned with the library's equipment.

Board member Ken Heeke was worried about how the computers were holding up to the traffic. Greenburg seemed to think the computers were fine, especially with the great job of network administrator George Edenfield.

When the library's Web site crashed during the weekend, Greenburg said Edenfield was on the job and had the site operating again quickly. The site had crashed after a hard drive quit working. It is now back up for the public to use, Greenburg reported.

The board was visited by the children's librarian Cortina Ison during its meeting. Ison spoke about the library's summer reading program "Be Creative @ Your Library," which begins Friday.

Program activities include Monday movies beginning June 1 at 1 p.m. with "A Wrinkle In Time" and summer story time on Wednesdays with toddler time at 10 a.m., preschool story time at 11 a.m. and school-age story time at 3:30 p.m. Parents can call ahead for each preschool and school-age story time theme.

New this year is the YA artist studios designed for 12 to 18 year olds. The studios include local artists who will talk about their work or show how to create similar art.

During the program, different prizes can be earned each time children visit the library up to four times. Prizes, which range from stickers to McDonald's coupons and even a free book, were made possible by donations and Friends of the Library.

For more information on the summer reading program, call Ison by phone at 653-2755 ext. 121 or by e-mail at cison@putnam.lib.in.us

In other business, board members were told 60 percent of the budget remains unspent for the year.

"You are right where you want to be," the library's accountant Mark Hammer said.

Additionally, board members will be saying goodbye to one of their own. Wednesday was the last meeting for Dorothy Lukenbill, who has spent 16 years a member of the library board.

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