The

Library Letter
News from the St Marys Community Public Library Spring 2006

From Our Director:
Library Annual Report
Today I am going to share three items with
you, our patron: our library statistics from 2005,
our accomplishments from 2005 and our goals
for 2006.
Your Library currently holds:
• 60,986 Books, broken down as follows:
Adult, 72743; Young Adult, 4343; and
Children, 31486.
• Videos, 1510.
• Audiocassettes, 47.
• Book & Tape, 153.
• Book on Tape/CD, 1090.
• Magazine Subscriptions,
123.
• Newspapers, 9.
• DVDs, 657.
• Music CDs, 613.
We had 7735 Library
Patrons in 2005.
Library items checked out
last year totaled 108,572. We
Sue Pittman, Library Director. Retirement Community.
borrowed 14,484 items from
other libraries and loaned
16,091 of our items to other libraries in 2005,
largely through our SEO Consortium.
Our program attendance last year totaled
13,481. Of those, 2728 were adults, 1390 were
young adults, and 9363 were youth.
A total of 9,223 hours were logged by
patrons on our public access computers. Our
Meeting Room was used 371 times.
2005 was the first year for Baby Story Time
and three book clubs for elementary school
children. We focused on “Intergenerational”
programming, offering programs for all ages on
knitting, Raggedy Ann & decorating a room.
We continued our collaboration with many
community entities. We were delighted to
speak at the Joint Township District Memorial
Hospital Senior Supper for the first time last
year. We also received sizeable donations
from Prudential Cares Award and the Auglaize
County Mental Health Association, and we
developed our collection accordingly in the
areas of business and mental health.
We converted to a new computer system.
Outlook for 2006
The Library Board is considering a
community survey to let the Library know if it is
meeting the needs of our patrons, with Long
Range Planning to
follow in the fall.
We’re adding
intergenerational
programs, with crochet
classes to start in
March.
Already in 2006 we
added two new
programs, Toddler
Story Time and
Tuesday Morning Book
Group for adults. We’ve
increased outreach,
especially among the
seniors at the Otterbein
Soon the Library
will be going wireless so that our patrons can
use their personal laptop computers to access
the internet from the Library, and games will be
added to the youth area computers. In addition,
an adaptive toy library will be started with toys
purchased through grant money from Assistive
Technology of Ohio.
We have retained all your favorite
programs such as Summer Reading for Youth,
Preschool Story Time, Let’s Talk About It adult
book discussion and the Annual Summer
Artfest. We really do want to offer something
for everybody at the Library.
Susan Heckler Pittman
Library Director
Adult Calendar of Events
Learn @ the Library: Crochet Classes to Begin
Adults will have the opportunity to learn
crochet at a series of six Wednesday evening
classes beginning on March 22. Sessions will
run from 6:00 to 7:30 P.M. and will be taught
“Let’s Talk About It” Features Local Attorneys
The “Let’s Talk About It” adult book
discussion program will read fiction that
revolves around court cases this spring, and
our scholars will be local attorneys. Each
session begins in the Library meeting room at
7:00 PM. Books for the series may be checked
out at the Library circulation desk. Please call
Tuesday Morning Book Group Dates Scheduled
The Tuesday Morning Book Group will
meet on Tuesday, March 7, April 4, and May 2,
at 10:30 A.M. The first book will be The Shop
on Blossom Street by Debbie Macomber, and
Mother-Daughter Tea Party Features Chocolate
The Library will hold a Mother-Daughter
(Grade 5 and up) Tea Party on Saturday, April
8, from 1:30 to 2:30 P.M. The theme of the
Royal Roughrider Reading Group Meets in May
May 2 at 7:00 P.M. is the time
scheduled for the meeting of the Royal
Roughrider Group. The group will meet in the
Library. Royal Roughriders is comprised of
teens and adults who read a selection of young
National Library Week
April 2-8, 2006
“Read, Believe, Achieve @ the Library” is the theme
for National Library Week. Every book you read
takes you on a new adventure, and your library card
is your passport. Ready? Set? Read! Believe!
Achieve!
Right to Read Week
May 1-5, 2006
Right to Read Week is celebrated in conjunction
with local schools. Visit or call the Library for details.
by Nikki Dietz. Participants will require a Size
G crochet hook and one skein of light-colored,
4-ply yarn. Please register for this program as
class size is limited to twelve.
or visit the Library to register for the following
sessions:
x March 14 – To Kill a Mockingbird by
Harper Lee. Attorney: Ed Pierce.
x April 11 – A Lesson Before Dying by
Ernest J. Gaines. Attorney: Amy Fox.
x May 9 – The Reader by Bernard Schlink.
Attorney: Kraig Noble.
it is available for checkout at the Library. The
remaining titles will be announced later.
Registration for the Tuesday Morning Book
Group is requested.
party will be chocolate, so you know it will be
delicious fun. Participation is limited to 40.
Please call the Library to register.
adult books and meet to discuss and vote on
their favorites. The books are available for
checkout in the Young Adult section of the
Library, and interested individuals can sign up
at the circulation desk.
Library Hours Change
Beginning Monday, April 3, the Library
hours will change, and we will be closing an
hour earlier Monday through Thursday.
Our hours for spring, summer and fall
will be as follows:
Monday-Thursday…………10 AM to 7 PM;
Friday………………………..10 AM to 5 PM;
Saturday…………………….10 AM to 2 PM;
Sunday………………………CLOSED.
 Special Days For Everyone @ Your Library
ƅ March 17 – Wearing O’ the Green! Wear something visibly green to the
Library on St. Patrick’s Day, March 17, and you’ll receive a fine free coupon!
VApril 15 – National Guess Day! Library patrons can win a jar full of jelly
beans by guessing how many jelly beans are in the jar anytime April 10 through April
15. The winner will be announced on National Guess Day, April 15.
Æ May 13 – Stamp Out Hunger! Bring in a nonperishable food item the week of
May 8 through May 13 and receive a fine free coupon.

SPRINGYOUTHCALENDAR
STORY TIMES
x Baby Story Time—for parents and their babies aged newborn through 13 months. 11:30 A.M.
Move with your babies to stories and songs. Babies play with age-appropriate toys; parents have
time to share with each other. March 2, 9, 16, 23, & 30
x Toddler Story Time – for two-year-olds. 10:30 A.M. March 2, 9, 16, 23, & 30
x Preschool Story Time—for children ages 3-5 years old. 10:30 A.M. March 1, 8,, 15, 22, & 29
x Family Story Time—for the whole family: 6:30 P.M. March 6 & March 20

TEEN PROGRAMS
Teenagers in grades 7 through 12:
x March 7—After School Program. 3:30 P.M. For details contact Paula Drummond,
Youth Services Coordinator.
x March 21 – Teen Book Club. 3:30 P.M. Check out and read the book Uglies by Scott
Westerfield and we’ll discuss it at the meeting.
x April 4—After School Program. 3:30 P.M. For details contact Paula Drummond, Youth
Services Coordinator.
x May 2—Royal Roughriders. 7:00 P.M. Adults and teens may register for Royal
Roughriders. Read the same YA books, then meet on May 2 to select your favorites.

KIDS’ BOOK CLUBS ‘Tweens Event

Fifth & Sixth Graders visit the
3rd & 4th Grade Jammin’ with Library at 4:00 P.M. on
Books—March 16. 4:00 P.M.
Thursday, March 23 for a fun
K through 2nd Grade Book Bunch— program with your friends!
March 27. 4:00 P.M.
ʏʏʏ
Participants will read or listen to the Summer Reading Program
books at the programs.
Registration Begins on
May 30!
 St. Marys Community Public Library Non-Profit
140 S. Chestnut Street Standard Mail
St. Marys, OH 45885 U.S. Postage PD.
(419)394-7471 Permit No. 12
St. Marys, OH

POSTAL PATRON

“The library will provide creative and factual resources to meet the educational,
informational, cultural and recreational needs of the community.”
– SMCPL Mission statement

Donations Received Last Quarter HOW TO REACH US

November: A gift by the Ohio Assisted Living Association; in
ADDRESS:
memory of Craig Kemmann by Ruth Rohrbach; in memory of
Joseph Cattarin by Joy A. Johnson; in memory of Thomas A 140 S. Chestnut St.
Durnell by Joy A. Johnson; in honor of Doris Lawler, Trustee of St. Marys, OH 45885
the Year 2005, by Joy A. Johnson; in memory of Dale Manbeck TELEPHONE:
by Joy A. Johnson; gift by the Benjamin Franklin Tercentenary; (419) 394-7471
in memory of Joe Cattarin given by the St. Marys Music Club. FAX:
December: A gift from the Carmen Lillie Fund at the St. Marys
(419) 394-7291
Community Foundation; a gift from the Harold & Patsy Botkin
Fund at the St. Marys Community Foundation; a gift from the E-MAIL:
Friends of the Library Fund at the St. Marys Community pittmasu@oplin.org
Foundation; in memory of Pat Donaher by Doris Durnell; a gift by WEBSITE:
the Shakespeare Club. www.stmarys.lib.oh.us
January: A gift by the United States Environmental Protection
Agency; in memory of Martha Meckstroth by Rev. Arnold W.
Meckstroth; in honor of Naida Kuhr by Irene Kuhr; a gift by Local INDEX
463 Utility Workers of America; a gift by Mika Sasaki; a gift by Pg. 2, Adult Programs
David D. Anderson; and a gift by Kathy Bishir. Pg. 3, Youth Programs
Pg. 1, From our Director