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Articles
Our Great Library
One of the great things about Lake Oswego is the Library. Compared with
libraries of similar size, the Lake Oswego Public Library is number one in
the State in per capita use and eighth in the Nation in a variety of
measures e.g. circulation according to Hennen's American Public Library
Ratings (HAPLR)
I grew up using a Carnegie library. It was back in the days of card
catalogs and shushing from the librarian. Times have changed. Enter the
library these days and you'll hear children laughing as they head
downstairs to see a puppet show and check out books. Teenagers can be seen
visiting, doing homework and browsing the DVD's and CD's before checking
out their books. Adults keep busy on the computers doing research and
writing.
Libraries have become community centers providing information and
enrichment. Lake Oswego Library sees over 1,000 visitors daily. This year
reference librarians answered over 42,000 questions from individuals and
over 3500 people enjoyed author talks, music programs and book
discussions. More than 7,000 people participated in the library's second
annual Lake Oswego Reads program this past February. Helping staff and
loading up the stacks are over 450 volunteers who contribute their skills,
talents and enthusiasm.
The Library is accessible to everyone at no fee. In Lake Oswego we are
fortunate because the City provides 70% of the needed funds for our
library. The other 30% comes from the County. In November the County will
ask you to approve the creation of a Library District which will eliminate
library funds from the County budget. A Library District would provide
dedicated dollars to libraries.
Remember as a community we can keep our library great. For
information about how to Keep Lake Oswego Great, go to
www.keeplogreat.com
Colleen
Bennett
Member of Keep Lake Oswego Great
President of the Friends of the Library
Past Library Board Chair
26 yr resident Lake Oswego
1131 Oxford Drive
Lake Oswego, OR 97034
Phone: 503-635-6950
colleen.bennett@comcast.net |