The Library is Sparking Imaginations This Spring and Summer
March 2019
Writer // Janelle Morrison Photography // Courtesy of the Zionsville Library and Iden Ford
The Hussey-Mayfield Memorial Public Library (HMMPL) is all about sparking the imaginations of not just children but adults these spring and summer seasons. HMMPL is adding more services and programs to its already expansive menu after an incredibly successful 2018, a record-breaking year in fact.
Virginia Hilbert, HMMPL marketing director, sat down and shared with us the great news as well as what’s coming up on deck for children and adults the first half of the calendar year.
“The library had a record-breaking year in 2018,” Hilbert exclaimed. “We had the highest circulation in the library’s history: 526,957 items circulated. That included physical books and everything inside of the library as well as items available online. We had 212,823 visits to the library. That’s an average of eight visits per resident. And we had 31,993 program attendees, another record breaker for people who attended our library events.”
Lori Rader-Day
In other related news, HMMPL won a grant from Indiana Humanities, the Novel Conversations grant, which has enabled the library to bring in guest author Lori Rader-Day. Rader-Day is a Boone County native who currently resides in Chicago. She will be speaking about one of her most recent novels, “Under a Dark Sky,” an Edgar Award-nominated novel. Day has been quoted as saying, “Originally from central Indiana, I grew up frequenting the local libraries, reading all the Beverly Cleary, Judy Blume and Lois Duncan I could get my hands on.”
Rader-Day is a member of Mystery Writers of America and International Thriller Writers and is a co-chair with publicist Dana Kaye of Murder and Mayhem in Chicago, a one-day mystery readers’ conference.
Hilbert encouraged members of the library and community who are interested in attending this program on Thursday, May 30 to check the website and newsletter for programming that will coincide with Rader-Day’s visit to HMMPL.
Many members have already experienced the library’s latest service, automatic renewals, that rolled out last month as an added convenience for cardholders.
“Items that have been checked out are automatically renewed if a renewal is available, and there is not a hold on an item,” Hilbert said. “On the due date, the customer will receive an email notifying he/she that the items have been automatically renewed and will indicate the new due date. If an item is not available for renewal, the email will instruct the individual to return the item at their earliest convenience.”
As part of HMMPL’s ongoing collaborative efforts with community organizations such as Zionsville Community Schools, the library is teaming up with the Zion Nature Center for Zionsville Citizen Science Day on Saturday, April 13. The event will take place at both HMMPL and Zion Nature Center. Zionsville Citizen Science Day is open to all ages. Participants will partner with scientists to answer real-world questions and will work citizen science projects that are related to the environment while having fun exploring and collecting data.
If your church, school or community organization has a collaborative idea that you would like to work on with HMMPL, contact the library at [email protected].
Finally, the library has issued its annual callout for the Teen Volunteer Corps for summer 2019. This program is geared for students sixth through 12th grade and college.
“It is a popular program,” Hilbert emphasized. “Spaces are limited, so students are encouraged to apply as early as possible. The teen volunteers help with the summer reading program, on the floor helping customers and are doing things behind the scenes. It’s a great opportunity.”
The Teen Volunteer Corps participants will hand out Summer Reading prizes, set up and help during programs and assist library staff and community members while getting involved and feeling good about giving back. Applications will be accepted now through Monday, April 18. Again, due to the popularity of this program, applicants are encouraged to apply as early as possible.
Apply online at bit.ly/2019TVC and contact Patricia VanArsdale and Laura Gangstad Teen Volunteer Corps Coordinators at 317-873-8341, [email protected] or [email protected].
For a complete list of services and events at HMMPL, visit zionsvillelibrary.org.