Library Journal announced the America’s Star Libraries of 2010 and Ida Long Goodman Memorial Library is sitting at the top of its category. Library Journal rates 7,407libraries across the country. Two hundred fifty eight libraries received a three, four or five stars rating; seventeen Kansas libraries earned one of those ratings. Four Kansas libraries earned a five star rating. Ida Long Goodman Memorial Library is proud to announce it was rated first in the $100,000to $199,000 budget category not only in Kansas but nationally as well. This is the third time in the last two years! Congratulations to the other five star Kansas libraries: Buhler Public Library, Hays Public Library, and Seneca Free Library.
The criteria on which Library Journal bases the award is per capita, on four service categories: library visits, circulation (how many items are checked out in a year), attendance at library programs and use of public internet computers.
Libraries supply an important service to communities. The five star rating, based on the above categories, shows that our community and surrounding area are taking advantage of those services. Libraries have always offered materials and internet to the public free of charge. The Ida Long Goodman Memorial Library Board has looked for ways that the library can become a gathering place for our community.
Our library is served by a dedicated, friendly staff and provides our services to the public in a comfortable setting. Try a cappuccino from the Internet Café while browsing the newspaper or surfing the web from your lap top. Bring a group of friends and challenge each other to a game or two on the Wii or a variety of board games (look for a Scrabble tournament to be organized the first of the year!) Book Clubs are offered throughout the winter–let us know if you’d like to be a part of one any time! The library loans not only books, magazines and newspapers but also dvds and audiobooks. The community room currently provides a meeting place for regional Boy Scout leaders, hosts a Weight Watchers group, and serves as a room for local clubs and groups to meet. The library indexes births, deaths, and marriages so people all over the U.S. can use our genealogy room to search for information on their families. Wireless internet access, computers with internet access and a web-based circulation system allows patrons access to over 30,000 items from the comfort of your own home.
What makes our library stand out above the rest? Director, Christie Snyder, believes it’s the partnerships that have been developed with other service-oriented groups in the area. With a vision before her time, Mrs. Goodman built the library with a partnership between the school district and city in mind, offering an opportunity to the students and residents of St. John that few communities have that are our size. Local businesses and organizations support library programming without reservation. The fall concert which brought Celtic guitarist, Jerry Barlow to the library is just such and example. Our children’s librarian, Jill Rockenbach, partnered with Parent’s As Teacher instructor Cheryl Foster and Stafford County Home Extentsion Officer, Amy Collins ,to bring a program on nutrition for the Kansas Reads to Preschoolers program just last week. After school programming is being offered through a partnership with the St. John Recreation Commission (Contact the commission for more information about after-school movies and ZumbAtomics).
So, does it take a village to raise a library? Yes, we believe it does – a five star library anyway. Come check us out today!
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