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Vinton Public Library reports record circulation, wins NEA grant for citywide Big Read
Summary
Library Director Kelly Hankle told the Vinton City Council that FY25 saw the library’s highest circulation in eight years, with nearly 35,000 physical checkouts and more than 10,000 digital checkouts; the library also received a National Endowment for the Arts grant to support a citywide "Big Read" beginning in September.
Kelly Hankle, director of the Vinton Public Library, told the Vinton City Council on Aug. 14 that the library saw a surge in use in fiscal year 2025 and has new programming and facility improvements planned.
“We checked out nearly 35,000 physical books and over 10,000 digital materials,” Hankle said during a prepared annual report to the council. She said the library recorded its highest circulation in eight years and that 64% of checkouts came from residents inside Vinton city limits.
Hankle outlined four service priorities that guided the year: circulation and patron engagement, community outreach, facilities and collections, and staff and volunteers. She said the library hosted 673 in‑house programs with about 5,600 attendees, held 138 off‑site events that drew roughly 1,500 people, opened 283 new library cards during the year and logged more than 500 volunteer hours.
The director described several small capital and facilities improvements completed this year, including new mobile shelving for children’s programs, updated interior signage, new lighting in a book tower, and installation of a bike repair station. Hankle said these changes helped make the building more flexible for programming and community use.
Hankle also told council members that the library won a grant from the National Endowment for the Arts to support a communitywide reading initiative, Vinton’s Big Read, scheduled to begin in September. “Our library received a grant through the National Endowment for the Arts that’s going to allow us to have free copies of the title Bewilder by Richard Powers,” she said, and described partnerships with the Vinton Fine Arts, Benton County Conservation and the Vinton Palace Theater for events tied to the program.
Councilmembers praised the library’s outreach and Hankle said the system estimates the economic value of physical checkouts alone at more than $550,000 compared with an annual operating budget the presentation listed at $450,000. Hankle closed by outlining upcoming programs for children and adults, including new book clubs and a planned spring chamber music concert.
The council did not take action on the report; members thanked Hankle and her board for the presentation.
