Our public library is an important community resource and it is vital that we support it. Thomas Jefferson said that "information is the currency of democracy" and our public library is key in providing information to an informed citizenry.
In 2005, 236,184 people visited the library. That is an average of 757 people per day. Over 144,000 items were checked out of the library. There were 12,336 citizens last year that contacted the reference desk. That means that each day an average of 237 people called or stopped by the reference desk requesting information.
The library's electronic resources were in constant demand with 60,176 people using the computers in 2005. This is an average of 1,157 people per week.
Our youngest citizens also are avid library users. There were 70 programs for children in 2005 with over 2,000 children attending. There were also 28 programs such as author visits and adult book clubs for adults to enjoy. The numbers for library use in 2006 have continued to go up.
Clearly, the Willmar Public Library is an extremely important source of information and it is crucial that the city of Willmar fully support this vital community resource.
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Mary Huesing
Suzanne Nelsen
Ramona Berg
Willmar Friends of the Library
