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| Hoopeston Public Library District |
2009 no. 4
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| Library Profile |
| Library Name: Hoopeston Public Library District Location: 110 North Fourth St., Hoopeston, IL 60927-7070 Type: Public Mission: The mission of Hoopeston Public Library District is to meet the informational, recreational, and educational needs of our district. Website: http://hooplib.org LTLS Directory Page: http://www.lincolntrail.info/hon.html LTLS Member Since: 1966 |
An interview with Director, Lou Graham.
| What is unique about your library?
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| The staff. They care deeply about the patrons, the library, and each other. If it weren’t for them, our library would be a very different place. Hoopeston has a unique collection of historical materials about the local canning business that once thrived in the area. We have original labels printed for the cans, photos, and factory blueprints which are kept in our archives. |
| What are the primary goals and objectives of your library? |
| Our goal is to meet the challenges that conditions of a changing economy and shifting population bring for people of all ages. It is important for our library to change with the needs of our patrons and anticipate the needs that will come. We have to listen to our patrons to accomplish this. |
| What cooperative efforts are you currently doing? |
| We are continuously partnering with community organizations such as: the rotary club, the historical society, and different churches to better the library and community for everyone. We also work closely with the schools. We are involved with the rotating AV collection between some LTLS members and often partner with other libraries. We use First Search and Gale Virtual Reference, which we subscribe to as a part of a partnership with libraries across the state. Our library is a pilot for OCLC WorldCat Local, and our patrons enjoy the interlibrary loan benefits of the Lincoln Trail Libraries System. |
| Tell us a story about your library. |
| A patron arrived at the front desk one day, requesting a book. She did not know the title or author, but she knew it was a hardback book with a green cover. After a great deal of discussion, we determined that she was looking for a thriller by a contemporary author. The staff person at the desk was able to suggest several authors, which narrowed the list. They went back to the stacks and soon spotted the book with the green cover. Result – one happy patron! We also have a very active home delivery system. The patrons depend on us and eagerly anticipate receiving the items and seeing a friendly face. Most receive few visitors so this is one of the highlights of their week. |
| If money were no object, what services would you add? |
| I would buy a collection of “hot topic” or uncomfortable topics, such as: sexually transmitted diseases, divorce, and subjects that patrons don’t feel comfortable asking for. Then I would allow those materials to be free for patrons to just take, without checking out. It would be an honor system, I hope they would return them, but if not the library would have funds to replace the materials. This way we would really be a source of information that people wouldn’t be afraid to use. I would also love to see more children’s programs. And if money were no object I would build an auditorium for our programs and other community events. |
| What is popular in your library? |
| The computers are incredibly popular. In July Hoopeston had almost 1700 computer uses. AV materials seem to go out all the time, but books are still popular also. Circulation is up and fiction is the highest genre circulated. The Twilight series has been bringing in young readers. |
| How does your library use online tools to connect to your users? |
| We have a website. I have a blog and we just started a blog for our teens. We also have a group on Facebook, and the member numbers keep going up. |
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Request a visit to your library If you would like to set up a special date for us to visit your library contact LTLS Consultant Michelle Ralston Library of the Week is published by Lincoln Trail Libraries System, 1704 W. Interstate Dr., Champaign, IL 61822 217-352-0047 - ltls@lincolntrail.info Executive Director: Jan Ison, Editorial and Design Team: Michelle Ralston and David Lottes |
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