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Library trustees report rising cardholders, new digital services and partnerships; council appoints new trustee
Summary
Library trustees told council cardholders and visits increased in 2024, the library added Mango Languages and Kanopy streaming, and trustees plan outreach for a future building; council confirmed a new trustee at the meeting.
The Liberty Lake Library Board of Trustees presented 2024 usage statistics and programming updates at the March 18 council meeting and asked for continued council support as the board plans for future facilities.
Board member Janine told the council Liberty Lake library card registrations rose from about 6,505 in 2023 to 7,428 in 2024, and in-person visits grew from about 62,628 in 2023 to roughly 69,575 in 2024. Meeting-room reservations and study-room use also increased; the trustees said usage continues to grow and that physical collections remain important for children and older patrons even as ebook borrowing rises.
Trustees and staff described new digital offerings. The library added Mango Languages (language-learning app) and Kanopy streaming; staff integrated those services into the library catalog so search results point patrons to the apps. The board also reported renewed partnerships with Ridgeline High School and Spokane County Library District (poetry-slam events for teens), continuing master-gardener classes, and Friends-of-the-Library events such as complimentary Spokane Symphony tickets for patron outreach.
Trustees said the library currently maintains a collection of roughly 27,000 physical items and follows a level-of-service standard of about two books per community member; board members noted that if the community grows to about 21,000 people a 42,000-item collection would be required to maintain that service level. The board said only about 4% of children's books are available digitally, and stressed continued investment in physical children's materials as the city plans for a new library facility.
Council confirmed Barb Richardson to Position 2 on the Library Board of Trustees at the meeting. Board members and staff also confirmed that the library grant application that the city filed was specific to the proposed building project and that grant funds would need to be requested again if a materially different project were pursued in a later grant cycle.
Board members asked for continued dialog with council on long-range facility planning and pledged to return with more detail during future budget and capital-investment discussions.
