Pamplin Media Group – LIBRARY: Spring cleaning in the style of the Crook County Library

0

We’ve been busy tidying up forgotten corners, inventorying supplies, sifting through old boxes

Nothing like the “Juni-uary” feel of central Oregon to get me in the mood for some spring cleaning. At home, I throw out expired items, dispose of all the take-home paraphernalia that seem to magically reproduce, rummage through all the closets for clothes to donate, and pull out the big feather duster to tidy up my ceiling fan and the cobwebs in the corner that wasn’t there yesterday…

In the library, we were also busy tidying up forgotten corners, inventorying supplies, and searching through old boxes. It was fun exploring the library history while looking through the files of newsletters from the early 2000’s. Some exciting developments from these newsletters:

In April 2002, library materials were barcoded and patrons could then be mailed home with receipts for all media borrowed. The things we take for granted 20 years later were major updates at one point.

In December 2005, a request was made to the community: A giving tree was set up in the library with “Angel Tags” marked with donation amounts. These donations from the community went towards increasing the library’s DVD and audio book collection. The library now has a solid collection development budget that allows us to purchase new and classic films and other media without donations from the community.

The Spring 2010 newsletter included a thank you article for Friends of the Library who have achieved significant goals in the post-recession era. In partnership with our friends, we continue to thrive as a library. (Membership cards available in the library!)

We’ve also done a lot of work cleaning up our collections. While the idea of ​​getting rid of books can be difficult, a good weed makes collections easier to browse, eliminates dirty and damaged materials, and generally allows us to better understand the popular titles and surprising discoveries that serve our community best present .

Our large print collection is attracting particular attention this spring. Large print books play a crucial role in making reading accessible to people with visual impairments and in our library large print is one of the most used collections we own. Some popular large print books are old enough to retain the original circulation covers from the card catalog era on the back, indicating that these titles were moved from the library’s previous location over 20 years ago. We also notice trademarks or initials on the inside of our large print titles – a little reminder that a customer wanted to be sure they weren’t reading the same book twice! When we increase the proportion of our book-buying budget dedicated to large print, we’re clearing out the old to make room for the new.

If you are involved in the Kon Mari clearing method or are still working on pandemic cleanup projects, the Friends of the Library are accepting book and film donations. A collection bin can be found outside the Chapters bookstore in the main library foyer. Sales of donated items help fund library initiatives such as our summer reading program and furniture replacements. We are happy to benefit from your own spring cleaning!


You count on us to keep you posted and we count on you to fund our efforts. Quality local journalism costs time and money. Please help us secure the future of community journalism.

Share.

Comments are closed.