Spring Lake District Library And White Pigeon Township Library Earn Citations Of Excellence

Oct. 13, 2006

State Librarian Nancy Robertson today announced that the Washtenaw County Library for the Blind and Physically Disabled is the recipient of the 2006 State Librarian's Excellence Award for exemplary public service.  The Library of Michigan Foundation gives this prestigious honor, which includes a trophy and $5,000 in privately raised funds to be used for library service, to one Michigan library annually.  Robertson presented the award yesterday during the Michigan Library Association annual conference at the Renaissance Center in Detroit.

The Spring Lake District Library and the White Pigeon Township Library each received a Library of Michigan Foundation Citation of Excellence, including a $1,000 prize and a trophy.

The State Librarian's Excellence Award is sponsored by Hantz Group, Inc. and Edward Surovell Realtors.

"Libraries have always been about serving their patrons, but these three go above and beyond to meet the information needs of their communities – continually evolving to provide new services, helping customers get the most out of library resources and reaching out to would-be customers who aren't aware of all the library has to offer," said Robertson.  "The fact that we had a tough choice among 23 fabulous award nominations really speaks to the bounty of top-notch library service available to Michigan residents."

"We believe that libraries today are more than a place to find books. The library is a resource to its community and hopefully offers programming and training opportunities that will benefit its clientele," said Margaret Wolfe, librarian coordinator for the Washtenaw County Library for the Blind and Physically Disabled.  "We have developed partnerships with a broad spectrum of individuals, institutions and agencies that allows us to expand our programming and training opportunities. Our library consumers are the reason why we offer programs now, a month from now, and a year from now.  Libraries change lives! "

The Washtenaw County Library for the Blind and Physically Disabled serves residents of Washtenaw, Jackson and Livingston counties.  As part of the National Service for the Blind and Physically Handicapped, the library provides traditional services like audio books, playback equipment, large-print materials and descriptive videos.  "These are all essential and valued, but what makes this library exceptional is how it builds upon its core mission with programming that involves extensive outreach, innovative services and collaborations with many other community organizations," said Robertson.

The library's many unique programs include:

• a partnership with the University of Michigan School of Art and Design, in which university students provided one-on-one assistance to visually impaired community members in creating and exhibiting works of ceramic art;
   
• an event presented in conjunction with the Michigan Commission for the Blind that brought together more than 50 agencies and companies providing services and devices for the visually impaired, 1,200 attendees and 150 volunteers; and
   
• a presentation by library staff and an occupational therapist about common eye conditions, free library service, and other resources for all aspects of daily living that has reached more than 600 individuals at 37 libraries, retirement centers and other sites throughout the three counties served.

Criteria for the State Librarian's Excellence Award are demonstrating that the library provides new, innovative and superior services to its customers in a cost-effective manner, with a can-do attitude and by always delivering on promises; demonstrating the library's commitment to high standards of customer service through staff dealings with customers and synergy within the staff through a coordinated approach to supporting customers; and demonstrating that the library is a team player through its collaborations in the community.

The Spring Lake District Library was one of the first in its area to join a regional consortium to provide e-books and e-audiobooks and responded to customer requests by being the first in its library cooperative to offer MP3 books as well.  In another nod to the 21st-century needs of its clientele, the library now offers an experimental new service that allows the in-house or take-home checkout of two laptop computers.  To support these advanced technological offerings, the library offers a core of related classes, including sessions on digital photography, online vacation planning, and buying and selling on eBay.

Technology also assists hearing-impaired attendees at library programs, who can use a new system that broadcasts audio directly to hearing aids, and can help staff in case of an emergency – the library installed an Automated External Defibrillator (AED) and trained staff in CPR and AED use.  The library also joined with the North Ottawa Council on Aging to give seniors assistance in signing up for the extremely complicated Medicare Part D and, in partnership with Loutit District Library in neighboring Grand Haven, provide programming for Head Start and have helped establish a Cultural Coordination Committee. 

The White Pigeon Township Library provides services designed to be utilized by the broadest spectrum of the area's small, rural population.  It has offered, in conjunction with the Lions Club, free eye screening for young children and has invited AARP representatives to do tax preparation for seniors with an annual income of $40,000 or less.  The library's "Mother's Day Store" and the "Father's Day Store," attended by a total of 300, allowed children to come into the library and select a gift for their parent at no cost, with all of the store items donated by patrons and members of the high school National Honor Society and Friends of the Library available to wrap the presents. A combined 330 children attended these two events. 

With programs like this and others such as historical storytelling, computer classes, a popular summer reading program and sessions for teens that include cooking and painting classes, program participation has nearly tripled since 2004.  In that time, the library's patron visits have increased nearly 50 percent; circulation has increased by about 16 percent; and computer usage has more than doubled.

This year's recipients were selected by a committee including the state librarian and one representative each from the Michigan Academic Library Council, the Library of Michigan, the Michigan Association for Media in Education, the Michigan Library Association Trustee Roundtable, the Special Library Association and the public library community. 

Hantz Group, Inc., based in Southfield, Mich., is a full-service financial holding company founded in January 1998.  For more information, visit www.hantzgroup.com.

Edward Surovell Realtors, founded in 1982, is a real estate company with 10 offices throughout southeast Michigan.  For more information, visit www.surovell.com.

The Library of Michigan Foundation was established in 1985 to secure funds for the Library of Michigan in order to strengthen and support the relevancy, availability and accessibility of its resources and services to all Michigan residents.  For more information, visit www.michigan.gov/lmfoundation.

The Library of Michigan – Michigan's official state library agency for more than 175 years – is part of the Department of History, Arts and Libraries.  Dedicated to enriching quality of life and strengthening the economy by providing access to information, preserving and promoting Michigan's heritage and fostering cultural creativity, the department also includes the Mackinac Island State Park Commission, the Michigan Council for Arts and Cultural Affairs, the Michigan Film Office and the Michigan Historical Center.  To learn more, visit www.michigan.gov/hal.

Read more press releases from the Department of History, Arts and Libraries (HAL).