CPL's New Children's Area Chalk Table.

Thanks to the Friends of the Chili Public Library - we have a new chalk table for the Children. Leah Wilkie (5) from North Chili is the first to use the new Chalk Table. The Chalk Box Story and Sidewalk Chalk are just two of the many storybooks we have about the fun we can create by just reading a story.

Making Memories

Yesterday one of the library staff was conversing with a mother who brought her child to one of our storytimes. The mother commented, "I come here to make memories." To me that captures the importance that libraries have to those in the community. Do you have any memories that involve libraries you would like to share?

Outstanding Ships On Display At CPL

Chili resident Frederick Lloyd has his collection of sailing ships on display at the Chili Public Library this month. Many library patrons have commented on the display being one of the best they've seen. Mr. Lloyd spends approximately eighty hours building a single ship. All of his ships have functional rigging. He is currently building the Charles Morgan, an old whaling ship.

High Use At The Library

During these difficult economic times libraries are the logical place for people to go. December's service statistics clearly points to that fact. In December the library had 18% more items circulated (27,666) from our shelves; we answered 17% more reference questions (1,840); and had 25% more people come through the doors (14,397)! Clearly people are looking for the best way to spend their time while keeping a close eye on their checkbook.

A Family Of Four Can Save Up To $2,500 A Year

The word is spreading, going to libraries is a great way to both save money and have a great time.

A study cited in Parade Magazine says a family of four can save up to $2,500 a year by borrowing just 10 items a month from the public library. That’s 120 items a year, averaging $20.83 each. Check out the article at this link!

A Time To Reflect

Now that we have begun a new year, we can take a moment to reflect on the several improvements to programs and services the Chili Public Library has had during the previous year. The performance of Chili Public Library this year reflected positively on Chili as a community and we look forward to continuing to improve its value to Chili in 2009.

Improvements to the Library’s Website
In January, a ‘Staff Picks’ feature was added to the library’s homepage. Library staff now offer suggestions of material owned by the library for patron’s reading and listening enjoyment. The list is updated regularly.

In March, an online story hour for children was added to the library’s website.

In July, the library created an online virtual tour of the library.

In October, the library began to provide to the community a new way to register for library programs by providing Evanced, the library’s online program registration module.

A teen blog was created in November to improve its communication with the teenage population that uses the library. New teen materials, events and activities are communicated through the blog.

CPL Outreach
The library took part in the Gates-Chili Middle School Career Fair, the Chil-E Fest, and Family Fun Day at Davis Park.

CPL Collection
The library began to provide audiobooks in the new ‘Playaway’ format which has become very popular. In order to reduce the need for plastic bags the library also began circulating tote bags to patrons.

CPL Programs
This summer proved to be the most successful Summer Reading Program yet for Chili with over 670 children registered. The library increased the number of programs for children, teens, and adults overall and held its’ first Teen Photo Contest was in May.

Facility Improvements
To improve upon our patron’s use of the facility, the library added new attractive oak shelving and display unit in the library’s New Books section. The library and town renamed the library’s multipurpose room, the ‘Barbara M. Ireland Community Room’. A new gas furnace was installed there to better heat the room for programs and community events. The library installed an additional T1 circuit in order to improve bandwidth. To better guide patrons to appropriate areas within the library new signs were made to provide a unified look.

Survey of the Community
The Chili Public Library surveyed the community and received a total of 560 completed responses. The survey will be used to better understand the needs of the community and improve services.