Glad You Asked: 2017 was a busy year for the library

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In 2017, your Delaware County District Library was busy! I’d like to share some of my favorite memories of 2017, as we prepare for another year in the world of libraries in Delaware County.

In January we welcomed a rotating exhibit from the Gilder Lehrman Institute called “Freedom: A History of US,” which showcased letters written by leading figures like Frederick Douglass, Susan B. Anthony and Martin Luther King.

February kicked off our semi-annual DelawaREADS-teen program, with a focus on New Orleans and the story “Drowned City” by author Don Brown. The graphic novel tells the story of Hurricane Katrina with stunning illustrations and accurate details. We welcomed Brown to the library to tell his story later in March.

The popular board game collection expanded to include role playing games in March, and an expanded table top collection made its home at the Orange Branch this year, as well.

Also in March we hosted our first-ever Teen Tech Week. Programs were created that focused on real-world applications of technology. The Library partnered with Ohio Wesleyan University to give kids a look at the Big George scanning electron microscope; the Delaware Police Department gave an interactive crime-catchers presentation using their advanced technology; and the Delaware Amateur Radio Association made 60 kids very happy by showing them a high voltage Tesla coil live in person and gave them a kit to create their own!

Speaking of technology, our library technology had its own boost in 2017. We introduced online self-registration for library cards, began a relationship with Hoopla Digital to get on-demand library materials including music and movies, and introduced an Alexa Skill for Amazon Echo users that gives daily updates on what’s happening at the library.

Our Friends of the Library celebrated their 10th birthday in 2017! Throughout the year they offered many programs in addition to their regular book sales, including Coffee with George, author visits from Troy Cummings and Joe Blundo, and sponsored many summer library entertainers.

And among all the wonderful programs and collection additions we made this year, we were out in the community in full force. Library staff attended more than three-dozen community events, including five parades and one festival with total attendance well above 10,000. It is our goal to meet our community where they live, and whether it’s wearing shorts, a parka or a rain jacket, we’ll be there.

I hope you continue to read and explore what the library has to offer in 2018. We’ll be here for you.

As a part of our year-in-review, I also present to you the top five most popular books checked out from DCDL in 2017. In order, they are:

“Camino Island” by John Grisham. After being laid off from her teaching position, Mercer Mann is approached by a mysterious woman with a generous offer to go undercover and infiltrate bookstore owner Bruce Cable’s life to learn his secrets.

“Murder Games” by James Patterson and Howard Roughan. Elizabeth Needham, the tenacious cop in charge of the case, turns to an unlikely ally — Dylan Reinhart, a brilliant professor whose book turned up in connection with the murders.

“The Fix” by David Baldacci. Amos Decker, the special agent with an astonishing set of skills takes on a murder case in the heart of Washington, DC and finds himself exposing a much larger conspiracy that reaches the highest levels of the US government.

“Never, Never” by James Patterson and Candice Fox. While her brother is under arrest in Sydney for a series of brutal murders, Detective Harriet Blue is sent out of town to investigate the disappearance of three young people in the middle of the Western Australian desert.

“Into the Water” by Paula Hawkins. When a single mom and a teen girl are found murdered at the bottom of a river in a small town weeks apart, an ensuing investigation dredges up a complicated local history involving human instincts and the damage they can inflict.

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By Nicole Fowles

Glad You Asked

If you have a question that you would like to see answered in this column, mail it to Nicole Fowles, Delaware County District Library, 84 E. Winter St., Delaware, OH 43015, or call us at 740-362-3861. You can also email your questions by visiting the library’s web site at www.delawarelibrary.org or directly to Nicole at [email protected]. No matter how you contact us, we’re always glad you asked!

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