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Oshkosh Public Library director briefs DEI committee on services, funding and community outreach
Summary
Library director Daryl Eshday told the Oshkosh City DEI Committee the library is legally free to residents, serves as the regional Winnefox resource library, and is planning outreach and volunteer efforts ahead of its 125th anniversary; committee members asked about volunteer coordination and services for homebound patrons.
Daryl Eshday, director of the Oshkosh Public Library, told the Oshkosh City Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee that the library’s mission centers on free access to information, preserving local history and creating a community gathering place. "By state law, every public library shall be free for the use of the inhabitants of the municipality which is established and maintained," Eshday said, describing the legal obligation to provide open access.
Eshday outlined how the library is funded and how it serves residents: roughly $2,800,000 of operating support comes from city taxes, with "almost another $900,000" from county partners and library-system agreements that sustain services to rural and adjacent communities. He also described the Oshkosh Public Library’s role as the resource library for the five-county Winnefox system and noted the library’s large local genealogy holdings, citing an endowment that enabled that work.
The director described core services — lending collections, databases, meeting and study rooms, public computers and hot spots, and outreach partnerships including the Winnebago Area Literacy Council — and highlighted programs such as a recent Art After Dark event and an upcoming Repair Cafe. Eshday said the library building combines the original Waters Building (circa 1900) with later additions and that the system is preparing to mark the library’s 125th anniversary next year.
Committee members asked about volunteer roles and coordination. Eshday said volunteer coordination typically happens at the department level and that the library provides services including homebound delivery and summer reading program support; he pledged to clarify volunteer contacts and follow up with the committee. "If you contact the library and you end up in a conversation and say I'm looking for some volunteer opportunities, you will be transferred to the person who can answer it more intelligently than I'm doing right this minute," he said.
Eshday identified challenges the library faces, including political pressure over collections and programming, facility maintenance (he referenced a prolonged roof repair), and competition from market conveniences such as online retailers. He asked the committee to visit the library, get a library card and share feedback with staff, administration and the library board as the best way to support and understand library priorities.
The presentation closed with Eshday inviting questions and offering to report back on specific volunteer coordination tasks and outreach work. The DEI Committee members encouraged the library’s community presence and affirmed the value of its programs and partnerships.
