Reuben Mcmillan Free Library Association

OPERATION OF A FREE LIBRARY SYSTEM FOR RESIDENTS OF YOUNGSTOWN AND MAHONING COUNTY SERVING A POPULATION OF 228,150 WITH 111,121 REGISTERED BORROWERS OFFERING A WIDE VARIETY OF SERVICES. APPROXIMATELY ONE MILLION PEOPLE PASS THROUGH THE DOORS OF THE LIBRARY SYSTEM EACH YEAR.

THE 2021 SUMMER DISCOVERY PROGRAM FOCUSED ON ENCOURAGING LITERACY AND LEARNING DURING THE SUMMER MONTHS TO PREVENT THE "SUMMER SLIDE" OF SKILLS, PARTICULARLY READING, THAT CAN OCCUR IN SCHOOL AGE CHILDREN WHO AREN'T IN A FORMAL LEARNING ENVIRONMENT DURING THOSE MONTHS. PARTICIPANTS OF ALL AGES WERE CHALLENGED TO COMPLETE READING ACTIVITIES AND ENGAGE WITH THEIR COMMUNITY THROUGH LIBRARY AND COMMUNITY ACTIVITIES. LEARNING ACTIVITIES VARIED BY AGE LEVEL AND WERE CORRELATED TO OHIO DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION CONTENT STANDARDS. FOR EXAMPLE, ACTIVITIES LIKE HAVING A DANCE PARTY AND READING A BOOK ABOUT DANCING ENCOMPASSED THE STANDARDS FOR SOCIAL EMOTIONAL DEVELOPMENT AND LANGUAGE AND LITERACY DEVELOPMENT. A FREE BOOK AND OTHER INCENTIVES WERE AWARDED TO THOSE WHO EARNED DAILY POINTS FOR THEIR READING OR ACTIVITIES. ADDITIONALLY, PROGRAMS WERE SCHEDULED VIRTUALLY, OUTDOORS, AND IN SOCIALLY DISTANCED LIBRARY LOCATIONS TO ENGAGE THE PUBLIC DURING THE PANDEMIC. PROGRAMS ARE SELECTED TO COINCIDE WITH THE SUMMER DISCOVERY THEME, AND MANY ARE PRESENTED BY SUBJECT AREA EXPERTS OR ENTERTAINERS FROM OUTSIDE OF OUR SYSTEM. WE HAD SEVERAL VIDEO PROGRAMS THAT WERE AVAILABLE ALL SUMMER LONG TO HELP ENGAGE YOUTH, TEENS, AND ADULTS IN EXPLORING SCIENCE CONCEPTS, READING, AND SOCIAL CONNECTION. THE GRAND FINALE WAS AN AUTHOR VISIT FOR YOUTH WITH AUTHOR GRACE LIN. THE 2021 SUMMER DISCOVERY PROGRAM WAS VERY DIFFERENT THAN PREVIOUS YEARS. WE HAD OVER 2,000 PARTICIPANTS IN THE PROGRAM AND OVER 10,000 ATTENDEES AT VIRTUAL AND IN-PERSON PROGRAMS. WE ALSO CONNECTED WITH OVER 3,000 PEOPLE AT SUMMER OUTREACH EVENTS IN THE COMMUNITY.

THE LIBRARY PROVIDES QUALITY, COMPREHENSIVE PUBLIC LIBRARY SERVICE TO THE RESIDENTS OF MAHONING COUNTY THROUGH OUR 15 LOCATIONS. MAHONING COUNTY HAS 228,150 RESIDENTS AND 111,121 ARE REGISTERED BORROWERS. FOR MANY RESIDENTS, THE PUBLIC LIBRARY IS THEIR ONLY SOURCE OF COMPUTERS, INTERNET, AND/OR WI-FI. THE LIBRARY PROVIDES A LARGE NUMBER OF LEARNING PROGRAMS, HOMEWORK SUPPORT, BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT AND WORKFORCE SUPPORT, AND REFERENCE WORK IN OUR BUILDINGS AND THROUGH OUR WEBSITE. WE ALSO HAVE A LARGE COLLECTION OF BOOKS, MUSIC, MOVIES, AND OTHER MATERIALS FOR CIRCULATION BOTH IN PRINT AND ONLINE AVAILABLE TO OUR CARDHOLDERS. OUR TRAVELING OUTREACH TEAM PROVIDES "POP-UP" LIBRARY SERVICE AND COLLECTIONS OFF-SITE TO VARIOUS SECTORS OF THE COMMUNITY INCLUDING SCHOOLS, PARKS, AND OTHER COMMUNITY GATHERING LOCATIONS. OUR SPECIAL DELIVERY PROVIDES SERVICE TO THE HOMEBOUND AND ELDERLY.

THE PANDEMIC CONTINUED TO IMPACT OUR PROGRAM OFFERINGS. STAFF STARTED A PUBLIC PODCAST TO SHARE INFORMATION ABOUT THE LIBRARY AND COMMUNITY THROUGH SEVERAL PODCAST PLATFORMS. IN PERSON PROGRAMS WERE POSSIBLE FOR A PORTION OF THE YEAR. SOME OF THESE WERE HELD OUTSIDE SUCH AS STORY TIME PROGRAMS IN THE PARK, FITNESS PROGRAMS FOR FAMILIES, BOOK CLUBS OUT IN THE SUN, AND SOCIALLY DISTANCED SQUIRT GUN ART. OTHER PROGRAMS, SUCH AS OUR EARLY LITERACY STORY TIMES, MAKER SPACE EVENTS, AND HANDS ON STEAM LEARNING RETURNED IN LIMITED SOCIALLY DISTANCED FASHION. STAFF WERE TRAINED IN USING CONNECTED LEARNING STRATEGIES TO CONNECT LIBRARY USERS WITH CONTENT THAT INTERESTS THEM AND OPPORTUNITIES FOR FURTHERING THOSE INTERESTS TO SUPPORT THEMSELVES OR OUR COMMUNITY. SOME OF THESE CONNECTED LEARNING OPPORTUNITIES WERE FOCUSED ON DEVELOPING FINANCIAL LITERACY SKILLS TO MEET NEW SCHOOL REQUIREMENTS IN OHIO. WE PARTNERED WITH CHILDREN'S HUNGER ALLIANCE TO PARTICIPATE IN THE FEDERAL LUNCH PROGRAM TO SUPPORT FAMILIES IN NEED THROUGHOUT THE PANDEMIC. WE PARTNERED WITH LOCAL SCHOOLS TO CONTINUE TO PROVIDE VIRTUAL LEARNING OPPORTUNITIES, BOOK RECOMMENDATIONS, AND DATABASE SUPPORT. STUDENTS COULD RECEIVE DIGITAL OR STUDENT CARDS TO MAKE BORROWING MATERIALS EASIER AND PARTICIPATING IN PROGRAMS SIMPLER. WHILE THE PANDEMIC MADE TRADITIONAL LEARNING PROGRAMS A CHALLENGE, WE USED VIRTUAL OPTIONS AS WELL AS GRAB AND GO KITS TO PROVIDE HANDS ON LEARNING OPPORTUNITIES TO HUNDREDS OF HOMES THROUGHOUT OUR COMMUNITY.

OTHER PROGRAM SERVICES.