Northumberland mayor proclaims National Library Week in the borough
NORTHUMBERLAND — Northumberland Borough Mayor Dan Berard issued a proclamation declaring National Library Week through Saturday in the borough.
'During the week I encourage all residents to visit the Priestley Forsyth Library, explore its resources and celebrate all the ways that the library draws us together as a community,' Berard said.
— RICK DANDES
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National Library Week: GPL talks free services to all ages, education, and funding challenges
GOSHEN — Goshen Public Library is celebrating National Library Week with fun events, but also with an eye toward funding challenges. This special week so far has seen informational social media posts, promotion of their free events, encouragement of the issuing of library cards, and promotion of digital content available through the library. Grace Thomas, Development and Community Engagement manager at the Goshen Public Library, had a lot to say on current and upcoming events for both adults, children, and families to enjoy for free. Thomas said that she is leading a digital literacy class in which adults can learn the basic functions of Word, Excel, and other digital programs. 'We're teaching digital literacy workshops, so computer basics,' she said. 'To adults in English and Spanish and again, they are totally free. We've been doing it since February. We were lucky enough to get a small grant from the American Library Association for that.' Thomas said that the class can teach up to 10 participants and have had quite a few workshops with good participation. 'It's been really fun to see people get so excited about something that they're learning, that's going to be applicable to their life, and they cannot believe that it's free,' she said. 'Anytime I get to tell somebody that, it's the best day ever.' The library prides itself in the ability of offering free programs for people of all ages. They also encourage parents to learn about internet safety, password management and overall information that will help them better monitor their kids who may use the internet or even themselves. Among the workshops held at the library, they also offer family nights, once a month to participate in a themed activity. 'Our family nights are focused on being culturally relevant to our Hispanic community and things that parents and kids can do together,' Thomas said. 'And so we found that it is something that people really engage with. 'Last month was International Women's Day and we invited the mayor to come speak and read a story to the kids, which was really fun and Sandra Rodriguez McMasters, which was lovely.' Participation has been great, Thomas emphasized and the library remains a tool for people in the city of Goshen, but it is not repellant to the changes statewide and federally. These changes will be challenging, but the library's leaders are committed to making the best of any challenges they may face, she said. 'Goshen is really supportive of its library, which we appreciate as much as all other public libraries,' Thomas said. 'In terms of funding challenges, libraries are kind of facing this pressure on funding from a couple different sources at once. 'Recently, the president issued an executive order that essentially halted the functioning of the Institute of Museum and Library Services, which is a federal organization that supports museums and libraries across the country,' Thomas explained. 'So they put staff on administrative leave and IMLS distributed funding to state libraries and then state libraries distributed funding to local libraries,' she said. 'Without that support, a lot of libraries will lose a good chunk of their budget that they have relied on for years.' She continued, 'Locally, the way that that looks for us is we receive funding from the Indiana State Library and IMLS for things that we share across the state. So if you've ever heard of the inspired databases, other research databases, and Libby, those will be impacted.' Thomas went on to explain the direct effects of the executive orders being passed such as the courier system that carries books and other materials between libraries for Inter-Library Loan, which is funded by the State Library. But these changes are on a federal level; there is more to come at a state level. 'The newest fiscal notes aren't out yet, but libraries are looking at a loss in revenue over the next few years as well as any other taxing bodies, like schools and city governments. SB1 also passed, which reforms property tax in the state and libraries are funded mostly through property tax,' Thomas said. 'We don't know exactly what that's going to look like yet, but it could be something that we're going to have to pay a lot of attention to.' She also mentioned Senate Bill 1 being passed and raising more concerns for the Goshen Library that would cut their budget by 30%, which means services will be lost. Thomas said they're unsure what's to come but their game plan is to keep the community informed and continue to find ways to serve the community despite funding changes. 'Since this is National Library Week, we put together a very small social media campaign where we did one post every day and it was highlighting either a challenge or a benefit of something that you can interact with at the library,' she said. 'We also mentioned funding challenges and showed what you get with that money when the money is granted, such as access to digital materials,' she said. 'One of the really interesting posts was asking staff how much money they saved if they had purchased the materials that they accessed through the library over the last year. I think my number was like $5,000 over the last couple years if I had bought all the materials that I used from the library for free.' Thomas knows there are shifts and changes coming their way but she invites the community to continue to use them as a resource and a place where everyone can have fun and learn together. 'Just come to the library,' she urged. 'We want people to feel comfortable and welcome in the building. This is their space and they should use it and we're happy to help guide them along the way.'
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Northumberland mayor proclaims National Library Week in the borough
NORTHUMBERLAND — Northumberland Borough Mayor Dan Berard issued a proclamation declaring National Library Week through Saturday in the borough. 'During the week I encourage all residents to visit the Priestley Forsyth Library, explore its resources and celebrate all the ways that the library draws us together as a community,' Berard said. — RICK DANDES
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11-04-2025
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600 books to 72K items: Memories and milestones at Orrville Public Library's 100th
The Orrville Public Library commemorated its centennial, celebrating growth from a modest collection of 600 books in a high school room to a 25,000-square-foot facility housing over 72,000 items. Established in 1925, the library's original collection was housed in a vacant room at the high school. The current building was dedicated in 1941, with significant expansions in 1977 and 2000 to accommodate the growing needs of the community. The Monday, April 7, event, aligning with National Library Week, featured a proclamation from Mayor Matt Plybon, who also serves as the library board president. He read a proclamation recognizing April 7, 2025, as Orrville Public Library Day. 'We just can't thank the community enough for standing behind us through thick and thin,' Plybon said. 'This library has always been more than just books. It's a place for people to connect, learn, and grow. It's a reflection of the values we hold as a city.' State Rep. Meredith Craig presented an Ohio Statehouse resolution honoring the library's milestone. 'A hundred years deserves a resolution,' Craig said. 'You have a tremendous impact here in Orrville and beyond. I know folks who drive from other communities just to come to this library. We thank you and we'll continue to advocate on your behalf.' The celebration included tours of the facility and stories from those whose lives have been touched by the library over the decades. Library Director Daphne Silchuck said the institution has a role as a community cornerstone. 'This library has been more than just a collection of books,' Silchuck said. 'It has been a sanctuary for curious minds, a gateway to new worlds and a cornerstone of our community.' Retired educators shared memories of the library's influence on students. 'When I was teaching fourth grade at Oak Street School, at the end of the year I would walk all the kids to the library and get them introduced to the summer reading program so they would keep coming and reading books through the summer,' said 89-year-old Virgene Steffen. Nancy Monagi, 91, recalled, 'We would walk from the school, visit the library and get a free ice cream cone afterward. It made a very special day for the children and for the teachers, too.' Plybon said he remembers walking to the library and joining summer book clubs when he was a child. 'My mother was a librarian, and I spent many days here,' he said. 'It's incredible to see how it's grown.' Dawn Geiser, who started in the children's department, recalled one summer program that brought a real wolf to the library as part of a theme on animals. 'It was packed,' Geiser said. 'Kids got to learn about the sanctuary and the wolves, and it was just a really neat and exciting thing you don't expect at a library.' Silchuck outlined future plans, including renovations to the young adult area, new shelving, sensory-friendly children's spaces, and outdoor benches donated by local Girl Scouts. A mural is also planned for later this year 'We're not just celebrating the past,' Silchuck said. 'We're building the next 100 years.' The library continues to expand its reach through the Library on the Go'van, outreach programs and partnerships with schools and agencies. As part of the CLEVNET consortium, it offers access to more than 12 million items shared across Ohio. 'Please keep reminding your representatives in Columbus why libraries matter,' he said. 'Because what we do here makes a difference every day.' This article originally appeared on The Daily Record: Orrville Public Library marks 100 years with centennial celebration
