Library promotes literacy through events

LAKEN MONGTOMERY News Reporter | @lmontgomerymiss

Maryville Public Library has been actively contributing to the community through hosting different activities, serving families in poverty and developing literacy and workforce skills.

Funded by a property tax levy that was approved and paid for by Maryville residents, the library charges nonresident fees for library cards outside of the taxing district. The exception to this tax also includes nonresident fees for households that are food-stamp eligible within Nodaway County.

In 2022, the requirements changed, allowing kids to be eligible for a library card. Library Director Stephanie Patterson said the Nodaway County Commission shared some of its federal American Rescue Plans Act funding to provide non resident cards to Nodaway County children outside of Maryville who are not covered by food stamps.

“The library’s nine-member volunteer Board of Trustees represent the property tax payers in Maryville. I report to them monthly and ultimately they determine the mission and overall direction of the library,” Patterson said in an email to The Missourian.

Due to the increased demand for library outreach has grown bigger than its ability to cover, it based its decisions on the schools that have higher numbers of children in low-income housing or schools that have lower test scores in reading.

The library said its goals for 2023 is to champion reading and literacy, support lifelong learning in the Maryville community in alignment with community needs and empower individuals in their own creative endeavors. Patterson said the goal the library has is to help children have access to library resources and enjoy learning.

“Maryville Public Library’s mission is to help the citizens of

Maryville succeed and enjoy life by reading, learning, creating and connecting,” Patterson said in an email to The Missourian.

To help keep kids active in learning and building skills, the library has set up multiple activities and clubs throughout the week.

The library hosts a storytime for children from birth to five years old. Its storytime is held at 9:45 a.m. every Tuesday and additionally at 5:30 p.m. Jan. 10, Feb. 7, March 7, April 4 and May 2.

Lego Club is held at 5:30 p.m. monthly on the third Tuesday of every month for kids from Pre-K to sixth grade. The club is designed to allow children to use their imagination to create a build and have it displayed within the library.

In addition to storytime and Lego Club, the library has recently been working on monthly activities for students that no longer have school on Mondays. Due to a decision from the school boards meeting of West Nodaway and NodawayHolt held in February of 2022, West Nodaway and NodawayHolt switched to a four-day school week to try to bring in more teachers. The library had to put it on pause and hopes to make a return in April.

Not only has it been working on activities for children in the community, in fall 2022, it began hosting monthly activities for adults.

The library’s long history, starting in the 1900s, goes into the decision to publish it on the National Register of Historic Places.

According to the Maryville Public Library, the library opened its doors to the public July 1, 1905, at its original location at the corner of Buchanan and Second Street. The building, constructed of red-pressed brick, was funded with a $15,000 gift from the American Industrial Leader and famed philanthropist Andrew Carnegie.

The library was accepted as one of the seven Maryville sites listed on the National Park Services National Register of Historic Places. This means the National Park Service declares the once post office, now a library, a location worthy of preservation.

Recently, the library received the Downtown Facade Improvement Grant, a multi-year process of fixing building maintenance projects, from the city. This was made possible by the federal American Rescue Plan Act funds that grants businesses and nonprofits for the purpose of maintaining historical buildings. The grant provided $50,000 of its contract price of $100,000.

Library users vary from all ages. For many community members, the library offers a quiet place that offers helpful sources. Each year, the library works towards goals that will help people have a better access to sources that can sometimes be troublesome to acquire.