The West Liberty Public Library Board met on Wednesday, March 20, for their big annual meeting. The meeting was open to the public and many community members attended.
The agenda included the year in review and a report on the space utilization assessment. The meeting was very efficient and accomplished quite a lot in under 45 minutes.
The meeting was called to order at 7:03 p.m. by interim president Ken Brooks.
Allie Paarsmith gave the director’s report, which began with an introduction of all the staff at the library and an explanation of their duties. It takes a surprisingly large number of people to run a library.
Paarsmith then introduced the library board members, including the youth board members and the city council liaison.
Paarsmith’s review of the year included numerous fundraising activities and grant opportunities. The WLPL has also developed a partnership with the school district called Celebrity Storytime.
“The entire first grade marches on over to the library with their teachers and sits for a story read by a local celebrity,” Paarsmith explained. Local celebrities include people like City Manager Geertz, Police Chief Houser and Mayor Smith.
“I think the biggest hit was probably Adam from the Public Works Department,” Paarsmith said, “Because he brought all of the large equipment. It was very popular.”
The WLPL has also been participating in a program that brings social workers into the library. Several area libraries were chosen to participate in training activities and assessments.
“It was determined that our library wouldn't necessarily benefit directly from having a social worker present on staff,” Paarsmith said, “However, our community does need more social work presence in general.”
The Book and Bake sales have raised a couple thousand dollars during the last year, and other fundraisers included the Picnic in the Park and RAGBRAI.
Library funding is always a concern, and several bills have been introduced into the Iowa legislature that may impact library funding and board organization. Additionally, the price of books and other materials are going up.
The WLPL has also conducted an assessment of space utilization. A close look at the physical organization of the library revealed a number of problem areas where improvement is needed.
“There are a lot of blind corners in the library that leads to a certain amount of shenanigans happening,” explained Director Paarsmith.
One concern she has is the fact that staff must assume that something ornery is happening when they can’t see, and this leads to trust and communication problems.
Removing blind spots will help foster a healthier environment for everyone. “It creates a kind of tension that’s not very conducive to being an open and welcoming space,” Paarsmith said.
The new floor plans include very few changes to the exterior of the structure itself, but the interior changes will be fairly dramatic.
The main desk will move to the center, spaces will be opened up throughout the building, and offices will be moved to more practical locations.
More study room spaces will be added, and the south stairs will be opened to the public. The library is working with architect Tara Goldsberry to complete the renovations.
The library board elected new officers. The new president of the library board will be Sam Morel. Vice president will be Hannah Chesemore-Potts. The new secretary will be Brianna Harvey.
The library’s biggest obstacle might just be public awareness.
“I find that our community doesn’t know what we have to offer,” Paarsmith said, “And we’re not the first thing on people’s minds when they think of an information need.”
Our historic public library is a valuable resource, and the most important thing locals can do to support the library is to get a library card and then, maybe use it.
If your child often visits the library after school, sign them up for a card. A parent’s signature is required for a child to get a library card, so make sure your kid has theirs.
The West Liberty Public Library is open Sunday through Friday, closed on Saturdays. Donations are always welcome, either in the form of money or donations of good, used books for their book sales.
And for those who really want to be helpful, Director Allie Paarsmith has one very important request.
“Come in,” Paarsmith asks, “And use the library.”