“Business has picked up at the library, and we’re loving it,” said Library Director Brittany Moeller Monday, July 6th, during the regular Dell Rapids City Council meeting. Moeller presented the council with an update at the library since re-opening at the renovated building on Monday, March 23rd.
66 new library cards have been handed out since the beginning of 2015, and 58 of the new cards have been acquired since moving back into the building. The 66 cards are servicing a total of 193 people. Moeller mentioned that in all of 2014, only 68 new cards were acquired. “We’re only halfway through the year, and we’re almost there,” said Moeller. The cost for a library card is free if you live inside the Dell Rapids city limits.
The library is currently in the middle of their summer reading program, “Every Story has a Hero”. So far 392 people from birth through adults have signed up for the program. Last year the summer reading program had 242 people.
The average number of check-ins and check-outs has also increased since the renovation. Moeller said, “The amount of items that we check-in and check-out every day has more than doubled from the past two years.” Right now the library staff is averaging over 600 total check-ins and check-outs Monday-Friday.