Hyrum
library, museum and senior center report to city council
By Caresa
Alexander
February 22, 2009 | HYRUM -- Thursday's City Council
meeting featured reports from the directors of the library,
museum and senior center.
Ginny Tremayne, director of the Hyrum City Library,
reported that of the 5,000 cards issued, 1,195 families
live outside of Hyrum. The library also serves patrons
from Nibley, Wellsville, Millville, College Ward, Mendon,
Providence, Logan, River Heights, and Young Ward. Because
Hyrum is serving a larger population, the state grant
has gone from $3,000 to $8,000 a year.
Every year Tremayne has provided the state with an
annual report. The state library compiled the data and
compared it to local libraries.
"We've checked out a lot more books than these other
libraries on a lot less money and a lot less staff.
We really need more people," said Tremayne.
According to Tremayne, an average of 26,000 books
is checked out each month. The turnover rate per book
is 5.74 and the highest compared to local libraries.
The state average turnover rate is 3.5 per book. The
state told Tremayne that the library was to be commended
for choosing things the public want. Tremayne said that
a list of requests is taken every time books are ordered
and there waiting lines for those books.
Hyrum was one of six libraries in the state to receive
an $8,000 grant to build a Spanish collection. Tremayne
said although there is a lot of support from the community,
there are still a lot of people that have not been to
the library.
"The first time they come they are totally amazed,"
she said. She encouraged the council to remember the
library at budget time.
"The biggest need for the library is to increase the
hours," said Tremayne. The library is located at 50
West Main and open Monday thrjough Friday, noon to 7
p.m. and Saturday 2 to 5 p.m.
Following the library report, Hyrum City Museum Director
Jeff McBride addressed the council. The museum opened
in May of 2008 and has served an average of 279 visitors
per month. McBride said it is hard to count the number
of people who come into the museum. Some people don't
sign in, or they sign in as a family or they only sign
in once and come back a number of times. Because of
this, it was difficult to determine the quality and
value of the museum. "The value sometimes goes beyond
just the number of people that come in," said McBride.
"A lot of people will discover the museum on their
way to the library. We would like to, at some point
in time, have people on the way to the museum, discover
the library," said McBride.
The museum is open 23 hours a week and is located
in the basement of the library.
Kristine Johnson, director of the Hyrum City Senior
Center, reported next. Located at 675 E. Main in Hyrum,
the center provides programs for those over 60. The
center is open Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to
2 p.m.
Johnson reported that 9,972 seniors go through the
center each year. The center serves lunch to approximately
33 seniors a day with a majority of those in staying
for the activities. The average cost is per person to
come to the center is $9.94.
Some of the monthly activities include Bonko/Cards,
Bingo, a cooking class and a Fit over 60 group. Monetary
donations from two people, food pantry donations and
donations of baked goods from Lee's grocery store and
most recently Ridley's in Hyrum have brought costs down.
"We just wish more people would realize that they're
seniors," said Johnson.
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