National Library Week: 1961 and Now

The motto for National Library week 1961 was “For a Better-Read, Better-Informed America”. That year, the Davenport Public Library was featured on a half hour TV show, Spectrum, on WHBF.

Both the Davenport Morning Democrat and The Daily Times ran editorials. A full-page 2 color ad appeared on page 11D of the Sunday Times-Democrat for  April 16, 1961:

In a typical month some 10 to 15 thousand men, women and children use the library facilities.

417,000 books, pamphlets, magazines, films and phonograph records were borrowed during the fiscal year which ended

Davenport Public Library – Carnegie building [early 1960’s]

March 31^st. This is an increase of 30% over the preceding year.2250 8mm films were borrowed in the last 6 months.1700 16mm films were loaned to groups and seen by audiences totaling 45,000.6000 phonograph records were borrowed including foreign language records for home study.

About 2500 young children came to the library story hours, film and children’s theatre programs on Saturday mornings.

20,000 questions of all kinds were asked and answered by the librarians in the reference department.

This year, the Motto for National Library Week is “Lives change @ your library”

Let’s take a look at what else has changed in our library in fifty-three years:

An average of 39,714 people used the library facilities in each of the last 6 months. That includes the Main library and our branches on Fairmount Street and Eastern Avenue.

757,917 total materials checked out in Fiscal Year 2013 (July-June).

210,133 video recordings (DVDs) were borrowed in FY13.

Stone Building, opened October 6, 1968.

82,376 audio recordings (music CDs and audiobooks) were borrowed in FY13.

10,020 eBooks, 5,912 eAudiobooks, and 4,394 zines were checked out by our electronically savvy patrons in FY13.

13,482 children, 2,202 teens and 1,411 adults attended Library programs, including storytimes 5 days a week, book discussion groups and other special programs in FY13.

121,205 reference transactions were recorded by reference, information and Special Collections staff in FY 13.

82,509 public computer sessions in FY13.

And, while we’re counting, we also have two more branches!

Fairmount Street Library, opened 2006

Eastern Avenue Library, opened 2010