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Library director reports rising digital use, new services in annual update to Petoskey City Council
Summary
Taski District Library Director Valerie Meerson told council that digital circulation and meeting-room use rose in 2025, and she highlighted new programs — free SAT prep and essay mentoring, a community ‘care shelf,’ Roku-streaming stick lending and a soundproof meeting booth. Carnegie window work is scheduled for early July.
Valerie Meerson, district library director, told Petoskey City Council on June 1 that the Taski District Library’s 2025 operations showed steady use and several new services aimed at expanding access.
"Operating revenues for the city portion are about $655,000," Meerson said, adding that Petoskey residents make up roughly 34% of the library’s card holders and about 33% of the district’s households. She said in-house (physical) circulation is lower than population share — about 21% — while digital circulation grew by double digits year over year, and total circulation approached 170,000 items.
The director emphasized new and popular services launched last year: free SAT-prep classes and a short essay-writing mentor program for teens, a community "care shelf" aggregating human-services resources, and new checkout items including Roku streaming sticks and youth audio cards. "We started an SAT prep course free for students," Meerson said, and called the programs "a huge success."
Meerson also described capital improvements: a new soundproof meeting booth (intended to ease meeting-room demand), a new roof, and ongoing window renovations at the Carnegie building — she said the Carnegie’s windows were removed for refurbishment and were expected to be reinstalled on July 6. Meerson noted that meeting-room bookings rose 28% (1,129 bookings) and that the Carnegie had 423 non-library bookings last year.
Council members asked for clarification about how operating revenues are divided between the city and surrounding townships and for the outstanding bond balance; Meerson said city funds cover capital and bond debt and that the library bonds mature in two years, but she did not state the exact remaining balance during the presentation.
The council thanked Meerson for the update and moved to questions; Meerson then opened the floor to council for follow-up items and suggested staff would return with additional materials if requested.
