By MICHAEL CRIMMINS
Glasgow News 1
Libraries are hubs of free services; from the numerous programs and the free books to the free internet access and the variety of available public spaces. Libraries serve as an indispensable cornerstone of most communities. Beyond that, libraries are money-savers for the residents of their communities.
Mary Wood Weldon Memorial Library Director Ami Sandell recently provided figures to the Barren County Fiscal Court that details the number of users for each of their services as well as the funds saved for the community.
Based on her figures, the library has saved Barren County residents more than $2 million by using its services in the 2023-24 fiscal year, which runs from June 30, 2023 to July 1, 2024, and counted that over 67,000 physical items were borrowed during that time with upwards of 53,000 e-books and digital items borrowed.
Other figures mentioned include more than 80 laptops/hotspot kits borrowed, an estimated 47,000 hours logged on computers and through Wi-Fi use, 300-plus programs offered with 9,500 attendees, more than 1,100 library cards registered, 600-plus hours logged in public meeting spaces, roughly 46,000 visitors to the library and more than 2,800 visits to the bookmobile, a van that travels around the county with its assemble of books.
Recently, the fiscal court acknowledged the library tax rate of 2.9 cents on real property and 2.54 cents on tangible property per $100 of assessed value, which, Sandell said, makes up most of the library’s budget that allows them to provide their services.
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