Colfax Public Library’s Summer Reading program drew 314 children and 149 adults
By LeAnn R. Ralph
COLFAX — Lisa Bragg-Hurlburt, director of the Colfax Public Library, is pleased with the success of the Summer Reading program.
Four events held during July drew 314 children and 149 adults.
“We had such a good summer program. I was very excited about how things turned out and what we can do in the future to improve on it,” Bragg-Hurlburt said, noting that some of the attendees were “repeats” in which the same child came to more than one event.
The Summer Reading program theme focused on different ways to “build a better world” and began with a program about lizards July 5. The July 12 program featured a magician. The Climb Theatre Group performed July 19, and Captain Jack Sparrow visited the library July 26.
In addition to the programs, Summer Reading included a snack for the youngsters and personalized help in creating a craft project they could take home.
Over the course of those four days, the library had 992 checkouts and renewals of library materials, Bragg-Hurlburt said.
The checkouts on the Summer Reading program days account for almost half of the circulation for the month of July, she said.
“It’s great for the library business. We’re getting people here, and they are checking things out. They are reading,” Bragg-Hurlburt said.
Anyone who knows a librarian knows that any time librarians can get people reading, the world is definitely moving in a positive direction.
Budget
The Colfax library had budgeted just over $2,500 for the Summer Reading program.
“We kept pretty close to budget. We went just a little bit over,” Bragg-Hurlburt said.
When it was all said and done, the Summer Reading program spent $8.59 per child.
“That covered everything. We paid for the performers to be here. We gave each child a book bag, folders and stickers for the reading incentive program. We gave away 20 nice prizes. We purchased craft materials for the kids to do activities that they could bring home. And we provided snacks. At the end, I bought pizza for the volunteers after cleanup on the last day. So all of that (was covered by the $8.59). That was a lot of bang for our buck,” she said.
“And all of the reading that went on, and the socialization and entertainment for the kids. It brought people to the library and to the downtown. It was fun to see the busy camaraderie. The weather doesn’t always cooperate with us. But when we had to, we used the upstairs auditorium, and that was just fine,” Bragg-Hurlburt said.
“I especially appreciated the volunteers we had. They were mostly high school kids wanting to contribute and get some volunteer time in. But it was also parents and adults. We couldn’t have done it without them,” she said.
“And the thing that was important to both me and Jolene (Albricht; youth services librarian), is each child received individualized attention. We don’t want people to come and not be acknowledged or not be talked to. We don’t want the library to be a place where nobody says ‘hi’ to them. We don’t want that,” she said.
“Because the volunteers were there manning the craft table, the kids all received personalized help. It made it easier for Jolene and I to talk to everybody,” Bragg-Hurlburt said.
After this year’s Summer Reading program, an area resident donated $100 to the children’s reading program, she said, noting that the Colfax Public Library always gratefully appreciates any donations.
Fines
Bragg-Hurlburt said she also wants people to know the library’s fine structure has changed, and library personnel are working to implement more and better ways to help people deal with library fines.
For overdue books at the Colfax library, fines accrue at 10 cents per day. Fines for movies have been decreased from $1 per day to 50 cents per day, and the fine also “tops out” so it will be no more than $5 for any one library item.
Unfortunately, if the fine reaches $10, the person can no longer check out items from any of the libraries in the Indianhead Federated Library System, including Colfax.
“We are trying to open the library up more for people who have stopped coming to the library, fines being one of the reasons they have stopped coming,” Bragg-Hurlburt said.
“This is a trend in the larger library system, in IFLIS [Indianhead Federated Library System], we are trying to develop a kinder and softer approach to fines. A lot of the people we serve are of lower income, money is tight and things happen. We understand. We want them to keep coming. And there are things we can actively do to make that all a little bit easier,” she said.
Food for fines
During the month of August, the Colfax Public Library is running a “food for fines” program.
“We try to do this two times per year. People can bring in a box or a can of food, and the library will take $1 off the fine for each item they bring in,” Bragg-Hurlburt said.
At the end of the month, the collected food will go to a needy family in the Colfax area, she said.
The Colfax Public Library also has started “reading for fines” which is geared toward children.
“Anyone under 18 can come and read for 15 minutes, and the library takes $1 off their fine,” Bragg-Hurlburt said.
The library also will work out a payment plan.
“We will evaluate special circumstances too. And we have scholarship programs. Other people in the community have donated money to help people catch up on their fines,” Bragg-Hurlburt said.
And while some libraries will not allow people to use the computers if they owe fines, the Colfax Public Library does not check fine status before people can use the computers, she said.
“People can just walk in and use our computers,” Bragg-Hurlburt said.
The main goal for library fines is not as a source of revenue for the library, but rather, to help the library get the materials back again, she said.
Processing charge
The Colfax library also has eliminated the processing charge.
Prior to this, $5 was added to the cost of replacing a book or another resource as a processing charge, but now the patron only owes the replacement cost for lost or damaged books or resources, Bragg-Hurlburt said.
People have the option, too, of purchasing a replacement book or another resource themselves and bringing it to the library.
“If people want to go on Amazon and find the book, that’s fine. If is in good condition, it can even be used. You can work with us. That’s the message we want to get out to people,” she said.
“People come to the library for enrichment of the mind in different forms. They are not looking to take our stuff. Sometimes things just happen,” Bragg-Hurlburt said.
People have contacted the library, too, to say they wanted to be a donor to help cover a child’s fines for overdue books.
“We have a little scholarship fund now. When we see kids are over the $10 mark, we will help them. If people want to be benefactor for children’s fines, $10 goes a long way. If you’re a child with no money, that’s a lot of money,” Bragg-Hurlburt said.
MORE
The Colfax library also can work with other libraries in helping to reduce fines.
Colfax is part of the MORE system, a consortium of libraries in western Wisconsin that can share more than a million resource items. Library patrons can go online to the MORE catalog to find items at other libraries.
“Because we’re part of a system, when we say we are going to do ‘food for fines’ or ‘read for fines,’ that’s not just Colfax items. It works for the other libraries, too, as long as I notify them we’re doing that. We can take Eau Claire, Menomonie fines off. It’s a great opportunity for people,” she said.
Unfortunately, Colfax cannot accept replacement items for other libraries.
“We can’t do that with replacement items but if there is a special circumstance, people should come forward. A lot of times we can figure out something for them, even if it is another library’s property. We’ve had people have house fires, a death in the family, floods. We understand how life happens,” Bragg-Hurlburt said.
“If people find a lost item after a huge amount of time, bring it back. We can still make adjustments, even after a year or two,” she said.