Marshall library board approves long-range plan

In a meeting Tuesday evening, Oct. 13, the Marshall Public Library Board of Trustees approved a long-range plan for the library, which will be in effect through 2012.

Board members and library Director Amy Crump have been working on the document the past several months.

"We took the plan that she (Crump) had actually come up with, and we changed a few things," said Vice President Ann Aulgur, who acted as president during the meeting.

One change reduced the number of "library service responses" listed in the plan from seven to five. They are "be an informed citizen," "celebrate diversity," "create young readers," "discover your roots" and "understand how to find, evaluate and use information." The omitted service responses dealt with adult literacy and a community information source.

The long-range plan also outlines the library's mission statement, saying it will enrich the community "by meeting its information, education, and recreational needs."

In other new business, board member Katye Elsea expressed annoyance with library patrons who dog-ear or write in library books.

"People need to learn to take care of the books," she said.

Crump agreed, and said that, not only do people mark in books or turn down pages, but also there are patrons who sign their initials in the book to remember they've read it, and one individual puts homemade due date stickers in the front of books.

"It's very irritating," she said.

Board Secretary Jeanne Simonton suggested that such offenders should be reprimanded if their identities are known.

In her report, Crump said the library has reinstated outreach visits to after-school programs in Marshall. In September, Children's Services Coordinator Bobbie Mackey made three visits and saw a total of 80 children.

A total of 5,549 items was circulated in September, down slightly from the August total of 5,621. The total number of library cardholders increased from 7,885 in August to 7,958 in September.

Crump said the library averages between 50 and 75 new resident cardholders each month.

The library has a new volunteer, Della Newman, who works four days a week. Crump said Newman usually cleans books before they are reshelved, which helps people who work the library's evening shift, especially now that the library closes one hour earlier.

The books are cleaned using baby wipes doused with alcohol, Crump said, in an effort to stop the spread of germs and disease. Computer keyboards are cleaned in the same way.

Crump also talked about the library's new Speed Read program. The Speed Read books, which have not yet arrived, will be on display in the front of the library, near the desk. They can be checked out for one week only, with no renewals, and they cannot be reserved; overdue fees will also be higher at 50 cents per day instead of 10.

Speed Read books were chosen from the 90 most popular authors at the library. The plan is to have one regular and two Speed Read books in the library's collection for about six months. Then, Crump said, in a two-week period, it is possible for five patrons to read the same book instead of just one person.

Board members John Carton, Nikki Fahnestock and Linda Valenzuela were also present at the meeting.

The next board of trustees meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, Nov. 10, at 7 p.m. in the library conference room.

Contact Sydney Stonner at marshallbusiness@socket.net