Everyday new people discover the riches the Bethel Public Library has to offer. As you can see from the figures below, our Library is being used more now than ever! During the past year, the Library staff has worked hard to implement many of the services that were requested on the community survey, created and conducted by the Library Board, during the summer 2006. Over 2,000 responses were received and results may be viewed online at www.bethelsurvey.com. Summary reports are available at the Library, also. The Library Board also launched a $3 million campaign to raise the funds needed to finish the Library. Several donations and grants already have been received. Here are a few highlights on your investment during the past year.

• Items loaned: 160,908 – up 5.5%
• Reference questions answered: 15,756
• Programs held: 276 – up 16%
• Attendance at programs: 5,504 – up 6%
• Public use of computers: 38,664 – up 33.8%
• Library card holders: 12,248
• Hours open to the public weekly: 58

NEW OR IMPROVED PRODUCTS & SERVICES

• E-mail newsletter and fliers, sponsored by the Friends.
• Saturday morning and evening programs for children, as requested in the survey.
• Full schedule of computer classes from using the mouse to researching your family roots online, as requested in the survey.
• New and improved online calendar that posts events for the Library, community organizations, and for the Town.
• Downloadable audio books and video, as requested in the survey.
• New online databases including 24/7 reference service.
• New hanging display system for art and photography exhibits donated by the Nathalie Morton and Suzanne Morton families.
  
  
  
  

• Grant received for $8,000 from Connecticut Trust for Historic Preservation to revise plans for restoration of the Seelye House.
• Grant received for $3,500 from the Albert W. & Helen C. Meserve Memorial Fund to help complete the Library's landscaping.
• Full restoration of Anna Hyatt Huntington's statue of Lincoln on Horseback, sponsored by the Friends of the Bethel Public Library.
• Installation of the Shakespeare Garden and historic urn, sponsored by the Bethel Garden Club.

RETURN ON YOUR INVESTMENT

The Library loaned more than 160,000 items last year. That's the equivalent of each resident borrowing 9 items from the Library. Here is what an average loan consists of and the value of the items if they had been purchased:

YOUR LIBRARY IS A MEMBER OF:
The Bethel Chamber of Commerce
The Bibliomation library network
The statewide Connecticar delivery system
The statewide Connecticard reciprocal borrowing system
The Connecticut Library Consortium
The iConn online database library
The statewide interlibrary loan system