Library offers many services for children

Editor’s note: This is the second of several articles on the Brumback Library, courtesy of The Citizens for the Brumback Library. These articles are published to inform area residents about the library and its services in advance of Election Day, November 3, when voters will be asked to approve a renewal levy in support of the Library.

VW independent/submitted information

At the very heart of the Brumback Library’s outreach program is its service to children of all ages. In the early 1900s, the Brumback Library, like countless other public libraries across the nation, established a distinct department for the sole purpose of meeting the educational and recreational reading needs of children. In 1917, the Library’s basement was renovated to house a collection of 4,000 circulating titles as well as a Branch and Schools Department, which maintained collections for more than 30 schools (many were one-room structures) and 15 stations located throughout the county. 

With the Library’s renovation and addition in 1991, the Children’s Department more than doubled its physical space, allowing for continued growth while providing a pleasant, inviting atmosphere in which to read and study. The Department currently houses more than 89,500 items, including reference materials, nonfiction, fiction, and picture books in addition to books on CD, puppets, puzzles, and periodicals, as well as Internet workstations. In 2019, circulation of these materials totaled 287,000 items. 

Needless to say, programming is a very important component of the Children’s Department. For its youngest patrons, Brumback Library offers more than 15 weekly infant, toddler, and preschool story time sessions — both at the library and at area preschools. 

For older children, the library offers story and craft programs, along with walk-in crafts throughout the month. Family story nights and other special events are scheduled throughout the year. 

Over 1,452 children participated in Brumback’s 105th annual Summer Reading Program. Infants, toddlers, preschoolers, and school age participants enjoyed reading well over 80,000 books in June and July. This program, which fosters a love of reading, learning, and exploration, offers participants an opportunity to engage in a myriad of miscellaneous activities and contests. 

Thanks to the hard work and dedication of the library’s staff and volunteers, plus the generosity of many area businesses, organizations, and individuals, the 2020 program was better than ever.

Winter, spring, summer, or fall, the department’s extensive nonfiction collection is used by students, parents, and teachers alike. Whether resources are needed for homework assignments, classroom collections, or for self-education and discovery, children throughout the county use the library’s resources. 

One-on-one and group instruction in the use of the library’s print and non-print collections, as well as the its automated catalog, together with tours for school groups, organizations, etc., are a vital part of Brumback Library’s service delivery.

Another service offered encourages the community’s youngest residents to become lifelong readers. The library’s “Growing with Books Program” provides a new book, a library information packet, and a library card application to every baby born at Van Wert Health. Since its inception in 1995, this outreach service has been very well received. Nearly 85 percent of the parents of these newborns register their child for a library card and, over a three-year period, 82 percent remain active library users. Implemented in the fall of 2019, the 1,000 Books Before Kindergarten Program encourages families to read with their toddlers and preschool children.

Staying abreast of the newest technological trends, providing a wide array of print and non-print resources, and offering a variety of programs at Main Library and each of the five branch sites, it is the hope of Brumback Library’s staff and board that all Van Wert County children will become lifelong readers and ardent library supporters. 

Next: Brumback Library’s Adult Services Department.