Fun For All Ages At Coffeen Library.

by Mary Galer of the Montgomery County Journal-News

 

The Coffeen Community Library is opening its doors to fun for all ages this summer, offering a wide variety of programming as well as expanded hours.

Librarian Deb Kent and library board member Gale Thacker, both of Coffeen,
became AmeriCorps summer VISTA (Volunteer in Service to America) associates
in hopes of helping the library to grow. "We've been really excited about this program," Thacker said. "We're very encouraged for the library."

Jason Walker of Illinois Coalition for Community Services, who works with
six counties in central Illinois, including Montgomery, helped to get the
program started.
 

"ICCS applied for 40 summer VISTAs for the whole state," Walker said. "It
was my job to identify how many were needed in this area, and where they
would be the most useful."
 

Walker, who serves as the project supervisor, spent one year in the Peace
Corps teaching English in Madagascar and one year as an AmeriCorps VISTA.
Both Kent and Thacker will receive a living stipend and a $1,000 education
award once they have completed their service.
 

Walker, who has been working with the Coffeen Community Library for more
than a year, saw their potential to offer more programs and get more people
through the doors."Deb really wanted to do it," Walker said. "And she asked Gale to help out.
Gale has just been amazing, with her teaching experience and vast knowledge
of crafts"

First on the agenda for Kent and Thacker was to expand the library's hours.
"We felt like our prime goal was to get people in the library, and get some
new volunteers," Thacker said.
 

Both ladies hope to keep the expanded hours of the library once the
eight-week summer VISTA program is finished. Current summer hours are Monday
from 1 to 8 p.m., Tuesday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., Wednesday from 9 a.m. to 8
p.m., Thursday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., Friday from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., and
Saturday from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.
 

And they've already seen a wide range of success in the library.
"We've issued more than 20 brand new library cards in just one month,"
Thacker said.
 

Their new programming also includes activities for people of all ages, from
the Slim and Healthy Body Club to the kids' parties and activities, there's
something for everyone.  "We've had a big increase in traffic through these doors," Thacker said.
Some of the activities include a Slim and Healthy Body Club on Monday from
6:30 to 7:30 p.m., Wild Art on Tuesdays from 1 to 2:15 p.m. for all ages, a
book club on Wednesday from 1 to 2 p.m. for kids ages eight to twelve, game
day on Thursday for all age groups from 1 to 3 p.m., and a writer's den for
anyone interested in writing on Fridays from 1:30 to 2:30 p.m.
"We have anywhere from 15 to 20 kids here for some of the kids' activities,"
Thacker said.
 

They also hope to offer a class on how to sell things on eBay, since there
is great interest in that topic. Internet access is available for just a
quarter for 15 minutes.
 

In order to keep the expanded hours, new volunteers were needed to help keep
the library open, and halfway through the program, the pair already have
five new volunteers. "Jason gave us a workshop on how to get volunteers to stay," Thacker said.
She added that one of the reasons people hesitated to check out books was
because the library wasn't open very often, so it was more difficult to return them. Now, they have a brand new drop box ready to be put up, and a new sign out front, designed by the state. "It's all the small things that really help," she said.
 

They've also found some new ways to keep the library afloat financially.
The local coffee club was without a meeting place after the café closed, and
library board president Dean Fuller began opening the doors of the library
for the men to have coffee in the mornings.  "Now they have some place to be together," Thacker said.
 

"They also give donations, which helps generate funds for the library so
they don't have to do all the little fundraisers," Walker added.
 

They still plan to hold their annual trivia bowl in November.
"But we're not hanging on by the skin of our teeth anymore," Thacker said.
 

Walker said the ultimate goal is to put the library back on the ballot again
so that it can become a library district.
 

Thacker said one of the most important things to her is that the library has
become sort of a community center.  "We want to help make our town better, and give people a sense of community," she said.