Category Archives: Director’s Desk

We are elbow deep (or maybe chin deep!) in the final stages of our strategic plan. You helped with this plan by completing surveys or attending focus groups, and your words are guiding our decisions. This morning I was pulling quotes from our surveys to use in our final document, and I was struck by how very articulate our patrons are. In most communities, libraries struggle to convince people of their value – here in Greenwood, it is evident you not only know the value of the library, but you consider it YOUR library. So do we.

We had almost 300 responses to our survey and all were very articulate. It was clear people put some thought into their answers. I can’t wait for you to see the finished strategic plan. Here are just a few comments from our community that I enjoyed as I worked today:

Our library has something to offer for all ages.  I live in downtown Greenwood and pass here frequently…..the parking lot is almost always full!  Our town is very fortunate to have such a wonderful facility available to all residents.  The staff is always helpful and informative.  Our library adds so much value to our community!  Thank you

Our library is a crucial community asset. It promotes literacy, provides programs and services that serve a diverse community’s needs, fosters interaction and social intercourse, and is the only public free access to computers, periodicals, books, and audiobooks.  I come to the library at least once a week to utilize its resources. Thank you

All libraries provide a center of information and learning. GPL is the anchor of downtown Greenwood. GPL is a safe haven for school children after school, a learning center for the community and a community center.

Having a public library shows that our community cares about literacy & culture for all residents who choose to take advantage of its resources.  Being personally blessed to have at-home internet, I am amazed every time I visit the library to check out books how many people rely on the library for their computer/internet needs — e-mail, job applications, etc.  The stations seem to always be full.

It is the one space that draws the community together.

It is a great example of a living library.

The library is a place where the community comes together. I have met many friends at library activities. I have also become informed about local politicians and events. To me, the library is a place to learn about the community.

The library is so many things; a place for relaxing, learning, and socializing!  From the youngest to the oldest, the library has something to offer.  When my children were young, we never missed the learning presentations and crafts.  As they grew older, we relied on the library to help them be successful at school.  We spend time together watching movies we borrow, we discuss the books that we’ve read and enjoyed going to the outdoor movies and Christmas events.  I witness children coming to the library for after school programs and know that while they may be a handful at times, they are in a safe environment and having the library as an after school resource is huge contribution to keeping our city and our kids safe.  The impact of the library cannot be measured, it is invaluable to our community and we as members of this community should make certain that our library is recognized for its value to all.

The local library adds value by being a meeting place, a place with a plethora of resources, and as an educational facility in terms of providing opportunities for students to conduct research, participate in effective programs, and meet others in the community that they might not have a chance to meet otherwise.

I believe that a strong library is essential for a strong community. It provides a great return on value to patrons via quality programs and shared resources. One of the best things about our move to Greenwood this year was finding the Greenwood library. My children have loved the wonderful programs and play area. As a homeschooling mom, I was really thrilled to find programs for homeschoolers as well. It’s a fantastic educational and social resource.

Well said, Greenwood!

At our Next Chapter Breakfast this morning, Amanda Snell from The Esperanza Center shared with us how one of our programs impacted one family. It all started when Librarian Anne Guthrie identified a need in the community, requested and received a $2000 literacy grant from the Dollar General Corporation and leveraged it with community partners to make a huge impact on the residents of Greenwood. I’ve shared with you before about this work, but Amanda’s story of how it impacted one family is a tale not to be missed. Here is the story Amanda shared with us:

María lives alone in a two-bedroom apartment with her five children. She wakes up early to cook beans and rice for her family before sending them to school. Then, she wraps her infant around her chest in a blanket and walks across five lanes of rush-hour traffic to get groceries at a local convenience store. She cleans houses before her kids return home, feeds the family, then walks to work at a local fast food restaurant, returning at midnight or later. María lives just two miles away, at Westminster apartments. Three of her five children attend Northeast Elementary in Greenwood; they have never called any other place home. María makes these sacrifices daily so her kids can fulfill their dreams (which, for one daughter, includes becoming a pediatrician AND the President). But for María, literacy is a luxury.

María only attended school to third grade, and she had never been to the library until this summer because of lack of transportation, lack of time and fear due to, as she puts it, falta de inglés (lack of English). But this summer, through a partnership with the Greenwood Public Library, we were able to bring María and her children to the library weekly with about twenty other families like hers.

At the library, the kids had access to educational treats they don’t have at home, such as computers, Nook Readers, and, the most popular, therapy dogs, or furry friends, like Callie, and her trainer, Rhonda Price. These dogs provided not only uncontested attention, which they don’t always get at home, but nonjudgmental ears, which probably contributed to the significant increase in students’ DIBELS scores. As María’s third-grade son told me, “The dogs don’t really understand the stories, but they’re good at listening.”  

María and the other moms learned that they play an important role in their children’s literacy, even if they do not speak English. When they found out library cards were free, they swarmed the front desk with applications, evidence of their eagerness to seize available opportunities to promote their children’s success. They also had access to the computers, where they learned how to navigate the school website. A few have since signed up for more free computer classes offered at the library. Due to the positive response, we have continued to offer an ESL class for mothers and weekly family literacy at the Greenwood Library.

When it comes to language and literacy, our immigrant children are forced to assume roles traditionally reserved for adults. They are responsible for helping Mom understand correspondence from the landlord, or prescriptions, or the car bill. Meanwhile, their parents work long hours to ensure these kids will be able to provide a better life for their own families. But literacy programs like this, which offer a safe, welcoming place for parents to bring their children and literacy activities so fun they feel like play, give our immigrant families a wonderful gift: Children are given permission to be children, and parents are empowered to see themselves not as deficient speakers of English, but as parents.

At the beginning of the school year, after the literacy program, María told me: “I’ve never dared to work on reading with my daughter because I’m afraid I don’t know how, but last week, I did, and her face was filled with joy and relief that I was helping her, like mothers do.”

Storyteller Paul Harvey used to have a short radio feature called “The Rest of the Story.” He would tell the story of a humble beginning, or of a life full of setbacks and tragedies. Just when you thought there could not be a happy ending, they’d take a commercial break. When the show came back, he’d say “And now, you’re going to hear the rest of the story.” And even though you knew what was coming, you’d be amazed all over again at how humble people could triumph against all odds through hard work, ingenuity, or toughness. Somehow he made you believe each and every time in the goodness of people, and in your own ability to overcome.

I don’t know if you have ever invested in something – a cause or a person – and then never heard how things turned out. You never got to hear “the rest of the story.” This year, some of you were among the hundreds of people who believed in Greenwood Public Library enough to volunteer, donate, or help us through grant programs. Some of you were the listening ears for our stressed out employees, or expert advisors who helped in our recovery. It is important to us that you hear the rest of our story.

On November 8^th the Friends of the Greenwood Public Library will be hosting our annual breakfast. While this free one-hour breakfast is normally a fundraiser, we want to use it primarily this year to thank all of the people who have invested in our story and to let them know what the next chapter holds for GPL.  For those of you who are able, there will be an opportunity to donate, but we know there are many ways to support the library and we want you to come if you have been involved with us this year.

If you are looking for a story of hope, we’ve got one for you. Please come join us.

Seats are limited, so please RSVP.

You’ve heard the saying, “If you don’t know where you’re going, any road will take you there.” In this fast changing world, it is more important than ever for us to have a road map and to make sure that our future reflects the needs of our community.

Today’s libraries are not static collections, but rather they are a living resource that must grow and evolve with the needs of their communities. This year GPL has experienced a rebirth that demands a responsive and responsible plan moving forward.

As a part of crafting our new strategic plan, we are gathering information from our community, and we need your help! Our survey will take you five minutes or less, and by filling it out you will help us determine the focus of the next three years at GPL.  This survey can be filled out online, on paper in the library, or via a touch screen computer in the lobby. We can’t wait to hear your input!

Our final strategic plan for 2013-2015 will be publicly posted on our website when it is completed by the end of the year.

Fill out our survey and have your say!

“Hey Cheryl, when is the library going to restore hours?”

 It is a question I hear all the time from patrons, and it is a reasonable question. Our patrons heard all about our crisis and what our immediate changes were, but what is this recovery going to look like as we go forward?

The short answer is that we will not be restoring hours in the near future, even though that’s a hard line to hold. This isn’t the first time we have reduced our staff and shortened our operating hours, but in the past we have always restored hours after a matter of months and slowly resumed old spending patterns. This time, however, our goal is not to get back to where we were before the crisis. Our goal is to build a brand new GPL that is transparent, stable, and sustainable – ready for what future may bring.

At this point in our recovery, we are barely getting our sea legs. The storm may have passed, but now we know that more storms will certainly come. It would be irresponsible to bank on clear sailing from here on out. Even the experts can’t predict exactly what our funding will be in the coming years, but the forecast isn’t good. Local, state, and national trends and decisions impact our budget and keep us from realizing the kind of increases that might lessen our financial woes. And so we prepare as though another storm is coming and make our ship as tight and seaworthy as it can be. We reduce spending. We save. We fundraise. We build relationships. We ask for help and admit when we need it.

Our recovery plan, which has been newly updated on our website, is a five year plan. It is not light reading, but it does reveal how the changes we have made this year have already begun to chart a different course for us. In five years, if we keep to this course, we will find ourselves where we need to be.

The long haul of recovery is almost worse than the crisis because it is harder to sustain. In spite of the struggles we have had, I honestly think I am one of the most fortunate library directors in the State of Indiana, because my staff is as determined as I am to see GPL succeed – no matter what. They work hard. They don’t complain. They go above and beyond. They are the engine that keeps us moving.

We are so pleased to have been able to keep most of our services and programming intact thanks to our staff, the Friends’ fundraising, and our wonderful volunteers who help us multiply our efforts. We are determined, and not discouraged. We are already seeing the result of our hard work and the commitment of our community.

I love it when a (recovery) plan comes together.