The director of the Leavenworth Public Library presented a progress update to the Leavenworth City Commission, reporting growth in event attendance, expanded digital collections and increased community outreach.

Library staff told the commission that attendance at five all-ages events this year exceeded 800 people and that the library expects total event attendance to pass 1,000 after upcoming programs. The director said the library has added digital services to meet demand, noting that a recent Amazon Web Services outage prevented patrons from using Hoopla (an ebook/audiobook vendor) and generated many phone inquiries.

The report emphasized community engagement: staff have participated in more than a dozen local events, placed ads at the local movie theater, increased the newsletter reach and opened meeting rooms to regular users. The director said meeting-room use and on-site wireless access have become more common, with people using the library for study, work and projects throughout the building.

The director described facility improvements underway, including a new mural, painting in the addition on the east side and a rock garden nearing completion. The library is also pursuing partnerships and internships with local education providers such as the University of Saint Mary and job-skills partners; the director said those internships are intended to provide meaningful work experience.

Commissioners praised outreach and attendance at recent events, including a “haunted library” program that drew about 217 attendees. The director thanked the commission for ongoing support and urged continued collaboration with community organizations.

No formal action was taken; the presentation served as an informational update and request for continued partnership and support.