2008 Annual Report—Carrying Out Our Mission
Carrying Out Our Mission
Monroe County Public Library enriches individual lives and strengthens our community by offering equitable access to information and opportunities for literacy, learning, and enjoyment (adopted November 19, 2008)
Providing Equitable Access
Library facilities served the public 69 hours, 7 days a week. Patrons could place holds, reserve meeting rooms, and use research databases through the library’s website, http://mcpl.info/, 24 hours a day.
 | Library card holders: 2,066 |
The library arranged for patients at the Midwest Proton Therapy Center to receive temporary library cards, and added two new childcare stops to the Outreach Van route. The Main Library developed a promotion with Bloomington Transit to provide free rides on the first Saturday of each month to anyone showing a Monroe County Public Library card.
Public computer sessions: 292,799 at 96 library computers
We conducted focus groups with public computer users and gained a new appreciation for the importance of the library’s computers in users’ lives, as they search for employment, write books, maintain Web sites, and communicate with family and friends. The focus groups helped improve the library’s support for public access computing.
Enriching Lives
1,535 programs for 46,422 attendees
Programs included the Winter Reading Program for teens and adults, Ellettsville teen advisory group, storytimes, computer classes, book clubs for adults and teens, genealogy and grants workshops, tax help with AARP/TCE volunteers, “Islam in Monroe County,” a world dance program for International Education Week, a summer film/music series on the early years of Rock ‘n’ Roll and a street dance on Kirkwood, our Lunar New Year celebration, “Getting Hired” summer event, Martin Luther King Day readings, and much more.
Strengthening Our Community
Opportunities for Literacy, Learning, and Enjoyment
The library extended its early literacy program, “Every Child Ready to Read,” to new audiences, adding programs to Head Start visits. The Preschool Education Center was enhanced with new materials, and an $8,400 grant from the Indiana State Library provided three early literacy computers for parents and children to engage in learning activities together.
In the Children’s Summer Reading Program, “Catch the Reading Bug,” 1,658 children, more than twice the year before, finished the program and collected a free book prize. Children had fun while retaining their reading skills. All ages got to enjoy watching moths, praying mantises, and other bugs hatch.
VITAL (Volunteers in Tutoring Adult Learners) trained and supported
tutors from the community in one-on-one tutoring sessions and small English as a Second Language conversation groups. Thirty-two community teams participated in the annual VITAL Quiz Bowl. Together, the Quiz Bowl and Silent Auction raised $10,216 for VITAL.
Community Access Television Services
CATS had a banner year, winning three programming awards and producing 44% more new programs. It expanded coverage of City and County governmental meetings, and provided local candidate forums and statements by candidates during election season. CATS continued to refine Web streaming and archive services, and made its first podcast, “Pets without Partners.” The Library Channel added “Classic Arts Showcase” and debuted a pilot for a new show to offer a behind-the-scenes look at your library.
