STATE OF THE LIBRARIES

From bookmobiles to ebooks to Chromebooks, local libraries are getting their communities reading in new and creative ways

By Victor Skinner

Northern Michigan libraries are bouncing back from the pandemic in a big way, fueled in part by new offerings and unique programs that are transforming how they do business.

Libraries across the region were booming before COVID-19 closures shut down many services three years ago, but the pandemic also raised awareness about online offerings and other programs that are now helping to drive the comeback.

“We’re back to feeling like a normal library again, which is very exciting,” said Michele Howard, director of the Traverse Area District Library (TADL). “During the pandemic, people were reluctant to come back into large community spaces and we saw that reflected in our statistics. This year, it’s really exciting because we’re back to our normal amounts.”

Circulation of TADL’s physical items are now at nearly 1 million, while circulation for digital items has hit 323,000, “about a 20 percent increase over last year,” Howard said. “So we’re now on par or a little bit higher than before the pandemic in 2019.”

Traverse City library officials and volunteers are witnessing the comeback in a variety of ways, from the number of people coming in the door, increased check-outs, and 3,500 new library accounts created in the last year. Retirees are back reading books and newspapers during the day, as are college students who use the space to study and families visiting for special events.

TADL is now expanding to offer things they never have before, including a new bookmobile launched in 2022, a 3-D printing service, and 20 Wi-Fi hotspots and Chromebooks. A “library of things” that started before the pandemic has also expanded in recent years, allowing patrons to check out a wide range of items from home repair tools like laser levels, moisture measurers, and stud finders, to musical instruments, binoculars, hot glue guns, presentation equipment, and numerous other devices. The most popular things include hotspots and laptops, Moog Theremini, guitars, synthesizers, and a telescope, Howard said.

Getting books on wheels has been a well-received addition, too. The bookmobile extended the library’s reach beyond its six branch locations to senior centers and childcare facilities, as well as community events including the light parade and National Cherry Festival, providing both books and free Wi-Fi.

“They’re just excited to see the library on the road,” Howard said. “For some people, it’s a lifeline.”

New programs for 2023 are also expected to boost library participation, including a Winter Library Challenge, Leap Into Science program, Northern Michigan Ballet Theatre, March is Reading Month – 1,000 Books Before Kindergarten Celebration, and a Bake & Tell Challenge at the Kingsley branch.

There’s momentum building online as well, with the pandemic driving up demand for audiobooks and ebooks. “We’ve always seen steady use of that, but when the physical building closed is when we saw that skyrocket,” Howard said. “We’re just seeing that grow exponentially more than in the past.”

Cadillac

It’s a similar situation at the Cadillac Wexford Public Library, where director Tracy Logan said “online usage was through the roof in 2020.” Circulation is now at 120,000 items, including 32,000 ebooks and audiobooks, equating to $1.9 million in savings to the community, she said.

In 2022, “we had over 97,000 visitors to our various locations and we currently have around 17,000 cardholders,” Logan

VISION: said. “We have not reached pre-pandemic levels yet, but we’re going to get there really soon.”

In addition to online offerings, the Cadillac library is quickly growing its adult summer reading program, digitizing community records, and partnering with community businesses to host events with “wild success,” Logan said.

The adult summer reading program doubled participation from 2021 to 183 readers last year, while a “booze and books” event at The Greenhouse at Willow Market drew about 80 people in January, she said.

A long list of special and regular events are also attracting youngsters of all ages, from a January Peppa Pig Party,

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