Drake Public Library

Seeking Excellence

JeNel Barth

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Welcome Ragbrai!

On Wednesday, July 24th, thousands of Ragbrai riders will be visiting Centerville and if 2016 has taught us anything, many of them will be visiting Drake Public Library! Last time through, we met well over 600 riders. The library will see at least that many visitors throughout the day this year. We are so excited! 

Parking will be very limited and all drivers should use extreme caution on Drake Avenue and Maple, as they are both thoroughfares to and from the square, camping and showering facilities for the riders.

There will be no children’s programming available that day and we’d like to remind our local patrons that Ragbrai riders will be given priority on the public computer bays and there will be time limits set for use of the computers. While we welcome patrons wanting to “check things out”, this might not be the best day for meetings, research or longer more focused visits.

Please take this opportunity to be gracious hosts to our guests by greeting them and familiarizing yourself with where things are. The best directions are given by our hometown citizens!  Drake Public Library will have air conditioning, a water fountain to refill water bottles, free wifi, public computers, area maps and comfortable seating. 

Enjoy this Iowa tradition by helping out riders, volunteering and participating in the festivities on the square. Welcome Ragbrai!

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Drake Public Library Receives State Accreditation from State Library of Iowa

The State Library of Iowa has announced that Drake Public Library has met the conditions for state accreditation as outlined in “In Service to Iowa: Public Library Standards Sixth Edition.”

Achieving accreditation requires a significant, ongoing local commitment to high quality library services. Drake Public Library has been recognized for its efforts in all areas of library operations including governance and funding, staffing, library collection, services, public relations, access, and facilities. The accreditation is valid through June 30, 2022.

“The director, JeNel Allen Barth, the board of trustees of Drake Public Library and the city of Centerville are to be commended for this achievement and their commitment to excellence in public library services for their community,” said State Librarian Michael Scott.

Of Iowa’s 543 public libraries, 377 – including Drake Public Library– are accredited. Iowa’s accredited public libraries are recognized for being responsive to their communities and for exhibiting excellence in their provision of library services. More than two-thirds of all Iowans have active public library cards. Iowa libraries play key roles in workforce and economic development, lifelong learning and e-government activities. Iowans use their libraries to find jobs, do homework, locate a good book to read, research medical conditions, access government information, and more.

Accredited libraries receive a higher rate of compensation through the State Library’s Enrich Iowa program. They also receive a Certificate of Accreditation signed by Governor Kim Reynolds, Lieutenant Governor Adam Gregg, State Librarian Michael Scott, and Iowa Commission of Libraries Chairperson Sarah Latcham.

For more information on the State Library’s accreditation program, and to view the Public Library Standards, go to www.statelibraryofiowa.org/ld/a-b/accr-and-standards.

About Drake Public Library

“The Drake Public Library strives to be a welcoming center for lifelong learning. We celebrate the freedom to read, discover and converse in a comfortable, inviting environment. We are proud to be your library!”  drakepubliclibrary.org

About the State Library of Iowa

The State Library of Iowa actively champions libraries. Our two roles are improving library services in Iowa and delivering specialized information services to state government and to Iowans. www.StateLibraryofIowa.org

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Drake Public Library Programs

We’re back in the swing of things at Drake Public Library and we thought we’d highlight some of our programs for kids!  

Little Listeners is a family story time for babies, toddlers and their parent or guardian. They meet every Wednesday with Kristin at 10:30 am. It encourages participation, listening, movement, creativity and language. This group warms our hearts each week as they develop friendships between the children as well as between the families. 

The Children’s Library is a fun place to be after school.  Kristin leads fun activities on Monday and Thursday: crafts, games, Wii tournaments, movies, you name it!  Feel free to stop in on other days too. Staff is available after school to hang out, look for books, play games or help with homework. We also have public computers that kids can use for gaming, social media and homework. 

Are you a young artist? Do you enjoy creating and learning about art? If so, we would like to invite you to the Drake Public Library Art Club.   

The club will meet  Tuesday afternoons, running from 3:30 until 5:00 in our second floor Maker Space.  Students from Kindergarten through Middle School are encouraged to participate.  Katie will be leading this group in creating amazing works of art inspired by famous artists and illustrators! Learn about a new artist each week! 

This is the perfect opportunity for students who want a creative outlet in a supportive environment to make connections with others who share their artistic interests.  Please join  us Tuesday, November 13 in the Maker Space after school for our first session of the Drake Public Library Art Club!

All students, grades Kindergarten through 8th grade are welcome to participate in our after school children’s activities. We have a school bus stop in front of our building. Just check in with the Centerville Bus Barn to see if you can ride the bus here from school. (High Schoolers, stop by and talk to JeNel about helping out or check out our Young Adult section!)  

Come by the Drake Public Library today and see what we have to offer! 

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Drake Public Library Renovation

The construction is complete and the shelves are filled.  The year long renovation of the Drake Public Library is now complete. This past year was a wonderful, and exhausting, experience for me. Overseeing the renovation of this beautiful, historic building was an honor. And, I am so proud of results! If you haven’t had a chance to come by, you really should. We started with the idea of adding a reading room in honor of Bill Swab.  Bill was a long time patron and left a considerable memorial donation to the library for this purpose. 

A top floor was added to the north end of our building that now houses the periodicals and non fiction collection. A beautiful glass floor inlay is an important part of the design. Comfortable furniture and a working fireplace adds warmth and ambiance to this beautiful space. Next door to this room, you will find the new Genealogy Room. Across the rotunda, we have created two separate spaces, a Maker Space and the Small Conference Room. Both of these rooms have unique historic touches and are available to the public to use for programs and meetings. 

The main floor has a beautiful raised ceiling that showcases the glass “floor” from the upper Reading Room. Our beautiful, historic desk has been refinished and a small study room is available for use by the public. Our young adult section is now located in it’s own area on the south end of the main floor, with cafe tables and seating now available.

Our children’s area got a much needed freshening up, with a new color scheme, layout and fun furniture.  Enjoy the new middle school area during our after school program or join our Little Listeners storytime group each Wednesday at 10:30am. Our Children’s Librarian, Krisitn Craver and her staff are available after school for crafts, games, homework help and other fun activities for children in first through sixth grade. 

Throughout the building, you will see a fresh new look with new paint, carpet and shelving.  Comfortable seating and improved lighting help Drake Public Library a wonderful spot to spend time reading, researching or getting together with friends.  We will be having a “Come-N-See” open house this Saturday, October 6th starting at 10am. Everyone is encouraged to stop by and visit the library! 

 

JeNel Barth

Drake Public Library Director

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Help Wanted – PT Janitor

The Drake Public Library is seeking a part time janitor. 20 hours per week. Must be able to lift at least 50 pounds, do small repairs, clean building interior daily. Exterior duties (landscaping, snow shoveling) as needed. Applications will be accepted until Monday, July 2nd. Applications available at the library’s temporary location.

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Help Wanted – PT Circulation Aid

Drake Public Library is hiring!

We are looking for a PT Circulation Aide for the children’s department.

Specific shift availability required, includes Saturdays.

Required skills include shelving materials (alphabetically and with Dewey Decimal classification), basic math/handling money, excellent customer service, computer and database experience, knowledge of children’s literature, positive experience with children and families and the ability to work independently.

If this sounds like you, we invite you to fill out an application at the library’s temporary site at 1011 N. 18th Street.

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Book Signing, Sarah Rupalo

On Saturday, November 11th we will be holding a book signing and author visit with Sarah Rupalo who is the author of A Shaken Leaf. Sarah’s newest book promises to be a very intriguing story.  The characters draw you into this important theme.  Her book, Keeper’s Choice, is a well read mystery here at Drake Public Library. Sarah will be available with copies of her newest book and her previous books from 10:00am until Noon.

Sarah has been a guest author at Drake Public Library before and we are very pleased that she is available to visit with our patrons and the fans of her writing again.  Her books are available for check out here at the library or you can find them on Amazon.com. Sarah will be also selling signed copies for patrons the day of the book signing. Please join us to celebrate the published works of this Seymour, Iowa author!

“In A Shaken Leaf, Lora Hobart, an ambitious preacher’s wife, manipulates the lives of her family to push her husband’s career to a higher level. Hiding her bigotry and greed, she forces her twins, Damaris and Deborah, to keep a terrible secret. Years later, Keisha Carter’s search for her biological mother reveals shocking truths that could destroy the family. Can a symbolic dried leaf bring two families back together again?”

The Friends of the Drake Public Library are proud to be hosting this wonderful event. Come and meet Sarah, hear a little more about her books and perhaps buy a signed copy for yourself.  Refreshments will be available.

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Drake Public Library Temporary Location

Drake Public Library is about to undergo a tremendous renovation. It is an exciting plan that directly relates to our mission of being a welcoming center for lifelong learning for our community.

During this renovation, the library will be relocating to a temporary location. That location is at 1101 North 18th Street, in the mall, next door to Cinema 4 Movie Theater.  We will be at this location for the duration of the renovation, which is slated to be complete by July 2018.

Our temporary home will house the vast majority of our book collection, DVDs, audio books, magazines, newspapers and some of our public computers. We request that you call or email the library for an appointment if you need to do genealogy research, as those materials will be at another location. Our book drop will be located at this sight and Library Hours will remain the same: Monday through Friday, 10am until 6pm and Saturdays, 10am until 2pm.  The Little Listeners story time group will still be meeting with Kristin on Wednesdays at 10:30.  Other programming will be advertised throughout the year as we get settled into our temporary site.

We will be moving into our temporary location September 11 through September 16.  During that week, we will be closed to the public.  You will still be able to call us at 867-6676 for assistance or log into your account through the Follett Destiny link on our website drakepubliclibrary.org to renew your materials online.  Any late fees that accrue during the week that we are closed will be forgiven.

We plan on being open to the public, in the temporary location, on Monday, September 18. We know that it won’t be perfect but we want this to be a smooth transition for our patrons and we are focusing on making sure we can still provide the best customer service to our patrons as possible. We hope that you will stop in to see us!

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Drake Public Library Renovation

It is a busy and exciting time at the Drake Public Library as we prepare for the library renovation that will begin in September.  The project involves an interior remodeling that will convert an existing double height space, also known as “the glass floor” that is currently under-utilized, into a newly accessible, separate floor.  The added floor will allow for the creation of a reading room which honors the wishes of Bill Swab, who left a memorial fund to the library for this purpose.  We envision this space as a beautiful and comfortable space, with soft furniture, a fireplace, periodicals and a small portion of the book collection available for the public.  A place to relax, read, work or perhaps visit with a good friend.

We are proud that a design has been created that incorporates pieces of the historical glass and steel floor stacks.  Pieces of the glass floor panels will be used as a beautiful, decorative inlay in the new floor of the reading room and portions of the steel stacks will be utilized throughout the main floor as display pieces.

The current meeting room on the south side of the building will be divided into two spaces, one large conference room and one smaller room that will host groups of less than 20 people.  These spaces will be divided by a partition wall, topped with clerestory glass windows with historic photos of the Centerville area as part of the design.  This will be quite a showstopper and we are very thankful to Lisa Eddy and the Appanoose County Historic Museum for helping our architect find just the right photos to add to this piece.

We are also going to be redesigning and renovating the lower level bathrooms and are planning on adding a main floor bathroom.  This is an important aspect of the design so that we can maintain ADA compliance and update our facilities’ functions.

There will be study areas found throughout the building and the library’s layout will be reconfigured just a bit in order to create a better flow for patrons and staff.  The Genealogy collection will also be moved to its own space to make it more accessible to the public.

During these renovation, the Drake Public Library will be housed at a temporary location, the former Mr. Movies business next to the mall’s movie theater.  Be on the look out for information regarding the timing of this move. We will be moving as much of the collection as possible to the temporary location and we will continue to be open Monday through Friday, 10-6 and Saturday, 10-2.  Any materials that do not get moved to the temporary location will be in accessible storage.  If a patron wants an item that hasn’t made the move, they can put the item on hold. A staff member will then collect the item and contact the patron… just as if someone else had the item checked out.  We know that it won’t be perfect, but we are working very hard to plan on providing excellent customer service to our patrons during this time.

Our future looks pretty amazing as we look toward the completion of this renovation. In the meantime, the staff and I invite your continued support for the Drake Public Library in our temporary space as we strive to keep our community’s library a welcoming center for all.

Thanks for your support,

JeNel Barth

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Homestead Blessings

“Homesteading is a lifestyle of self-sufficiency.  It is characterized by subsistence agriculture, home preservation of foodstuffs, and it may or may not also involve the small scale production of textiles, clothing and craftwork for household use or sale.”  -from Merriam Webster

Modern Homesteaders often use renewable energy options including solar energy and wind power and some even invent DIY cars!  Many also choose to plant and grow heirloom vegetables and to raise heritage livestock.  Homesteading is not defined by where someone lives, such as the city or the country, by the lifestyle choices they make.

With the up and coming interest in homesteading in our area, the Drake Public Library has purchased a set of DVDs produced by Franklin Springs Family Media called “Homestead Blessings”.  The 9 piece series includes step by step directions in Bread Making, Candle Making, Canning, Cooking, Dairy Product Use, Gardening, Herb Preparation and Use, Sewing and Soap Making.

Of course my first thought was, “This would be great for our 4H kids that might be thinking about next year already!”  But really, this series is for anyone interested in learning these skills that don’t tend to be taught much anymore.  The films are full of helpful instruction, practical tips and fun filled insight into these homesteading skills and are presented by a group of women with practical knowledge and experience in each of these areas.

Are  you interested in learning more about these subjects?  Come to the Drake Public Library and check out one of these DVDs or look through our catalog for other homesteading materials.  There are other DVDs, books and magazines that you might be interested in seeing.  We are more than happy to help you find just the right thing within our own collection or look through the inter library loan system.

Small steps toward self-sufficiency can truly change or perhaps improve your quality of life.  And, you might just enjoy it!