Lake County Public Library 2004 Annual Report

"The man who does not read good books has no advantage over the man who cannot read them." - Mark Twain

Library Administration
Lawrence A. Acheff, Director
Ana Grandfield, Assistant Director

Board of Trustees
Ella Gilbertson, President
Arthur N. Giannini, Vice President
Robert W. Marszalek, Secretary
Susan E. Buczek, Treasurer
Michael Davis
Sophie Misner
Nenad Radoja
Dennis J. Tobin

Library District

The Lake County Public Library System is the third largest library system in the state with a service population of 217,349. The purpose of the library is to provide the highest quality informational, educational, cultural and recreational resources and services to residents of all ages in the Lake County Public Library District.

The library serves the communities of Black Oak, Cedar Lake, Dyer, Griffith, Highland, Hobart, Lake Station, Merrillville, Munster, New Chicago, Schererville, St. John and unincorporated Calumet Township with a Central Library and eleven branch locations.

Lake County is divided into seven independent library districts that serve a population of 484,564. Through borrowing agreements, the Lake County Public Library services six of the seven districts.

The library maintains a close relationship with schools in its district and offers tours, class visits, and bibliographic instruction for their students. Area colleges and regional university campuses often tour the Central Library and make use of the library’s resources.

Eighty percent of the county’s population are high school graduates and sixteen percent have a Bachelor’s degree or higher. The median household income for the county is $41,829 and sixty-nine percent are homeowners. The county land area is 497 square miles which is densely populated with 975 persons per square mile.

Racially and ethnically the county is diverse with 66.7% of the population white, 25.3% black or African American, .8% Asian, .3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 5% some other race, 1.9% two or more races, and 12.2% Hispanic/Latino origin.

Through technology, innovative programming, outstanding customer service and a well trained and motivated staff, the Lake County Public Library System continues to grow and offers its patrons quality library service.

Innovative Programs and Services

The Lake County Public Library offered a wide variety of programs for adults and children during 2004. Over 80,000 residents of Northwest Indiana attended programs at all library locations.

With reading and literacy as priorities, the staff at LCPL offered English as A Second Language and preparation TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language) classes to area residents. In addition LCPL sponsored Take Time Out for Reading in conjunction with Indiana’s program for literacy, Put your nose in a book Indiana, held during International Literacy Day in September.

As part of the American Library Association’s National Library Card Sign-Up Month campaign, LCPL sponsored Cool Kids Have a Library Card. The program, which was created to attract children and their families to sign up for library cards, was a success. A total of 1,672 children participated.

Inspired by the 200th anniversary of the Lewis & Clark Expedition, the theme for the library’s popular Summer Reading Program for Children was Adventure. Children read books and enjoyed a variety of programs at all library locations including Panning for Gold at the Highland Branch.

Adults also joined in the fun. Approximately, 10,000 participated in Exploring with Books, the library’s fifth annual Adult Summer Reading Program.

Technological enhancements on the Library Web Page include:

• Power Search - Library users can search any or all of the library’s databases including the catalog simultaneously with a single intuitive interface.
• Spanish Language Translation - Click on the Spanish Flag and the page is automatically translated.

LCPL Highlights for 2004

• Volunteers logged 6,842 hours of service at Lake County Public Library locations
• 180 attended library sponsored U.S. Citizenship classes
• 80 books were sent to U.S. troops stationed in Iraq
• 109 children’s books were donated to the ARK Homeless Shelter in Crown Point
• 186 children’s books were donated to Healthy Families visitation program for first-time moms
• 847 used paperbacks were donated to Westville Correctional Center
• Library users benefited from dramatic "make-overs" at Griffith, Forty-First and Black Oak branch libraries with new layouts and educational play tools and rugs
• Munster Branch sponsored a Business Before Hours for Munster Chamber of Commerce
• Reference Services sponsored a Business After Hours for the Merrillville Chamber of Commerce and for Business Expo
• Hobart Township libraries were represented at the New Chicago Festival and St. Mary Medical Center’s health programs
• Cedar Lake Branch participated in Cedar Lake’s annual Parade of Lights, Community Health Fair, and PATH (Parents as Teachers, Hanover)
• Highland Branch participated in the Highland HS Career Day and in the Highland Parks Health Fair
• Caregiver’s Resources Collection was developed with support from the Northwest Indiana Community Action Corporation
• Monthly displays of topical magazines are very popular at the Central Library
• Over 6,000 children attending day care participated in library programs
• Dyer-Schererville Branch received a $1,000 literacy grant from Wal-Mart
• Over 1,000,000 audio-visual items were circulated in 2004
• Indiana Attorney General Steve Carter presented 3,000 CDs to the Lake County Public Library during the summer of 2004 as part of a national settlement with music distributors and retailers
• Groundbreaking for a new 15,000 s.f. community library in St. John was held on September 8, 2004

2004 Public Service Record

Facilities

• 11 Community Branch Libraries; Talking Books (National Library Service for the Blind and Physically Handicapped), and Central Library

2004 Circulation

• 547,928 Children’s Books & Media
• 1,892,170 Adult Books & Media
• 57,853 Talking Books
• 2,497,951 Total Circulation

Library Holdings

• 968,289 Books
• 57,522 Videos, DVDs
• 74,382 Audio Materials (Cassettes, Compact Discs)
• 4,343 Electronic Format (CD-ROMs, Magnetic Tapes)
• 1,764 Current Magazines, Newspapers, SubscriptionsM
• 1,142 Bound Magazines and Newspapers

2004 Service Levels and Programs

• 227,292 reference questions answered
• 4,724,955 research pages accessed from library web sites
• 57,791 attended 2,575 children’s programs
• 32,854 attended 1,584 adult and young adult programs
• 102,805 hours of public internet computer use
• 1,074 Talking Books clients

2004 Staffing

• 244 staff members
• 217,349 library district population

Friends of Lake County Public Library

Since 1978, Celebrating 25 Years!

The Friends of Lake County Public Library is comprised of volunteers who work many hours sorting, shelving and selling books at the LCPL Bookstore at the Central Library and at all branch locations. The Friends earned $22,910.59 from book sales. The Friends have distributed their funds for children’s and adult programming, for volunteer and staff recognition events, and have graciously donated $15,000 to the Lake County Public Library Foundation.

Without the Friends, the library would not be able to offer as many quality library services.

Friends of Lake County Public Library Officers
Audrey Lundy, President
Jean Oppenheim, 1^st Vice President
Mary Edwards, 2^nd Vice President
Linda Crawford, Secretary
Judith Nelson, Treasurer

Lake County Public Library Foundation

Since 1984

The Foundation celebrated its twentieth year in 2004. The Foundation is an independent, non-profit organization formed to administer funds through donations and special events, providing sources of income. Special events included a Literary Tea and the October Tribute Dinner where two awards were presented for distinguished service and outstanding corporate support.

In 2004, the Foundation sponsored its annual Read-a-Thon for preschool through eighth grade, and home school students. 1,139 students from area schools participated. Students raised $52,360.39 for the library and their schools.

Lake County Public Library Foundation Board Members
Marti Ross, President
Tom Surovek, Vice President
Judith Petro, Secretary
David Buls, Treasurer
Ray Howell
Jeffrey Johnson
Carol Kalmar
Tula Kavadias
Barb Klawans
Irene F. Ketchum
Margaret Kuchta
Andrew S. Kyres
Michael McIntyre
Sophie Misner
Myron Nidetz
Lawrence A. Acheff, Executive Secretary
Sally J. Benson, CFRE, Assistant Executive Secretary
David Yancich, Financial Manager

Lake County Public Library Foundation 2004 Memorial Donations

Lake County Public Library Foundation
2004 Community Supporters and Individual Donations

2004 Business and Professional Sponsors
Air Temp Mechanical
Ajax Sanitary Supplies
Altrusa International of the Indiana Dunes
American Long Term Care Insurance
Artwork by John Petrou
Bank Calumet
Boyd Construction
Burns Funeral Home
Carras, Szany, Kuhn & Assoc.
Casale, Woodward And Buls, LLP
Centier Bank
Community Foundation of NWI Inc.
E.C. Babilla, Inc.
Edda Taylor Photographie
Edward's TV Service
Financial Resource Group
First Impressions Friends of LCPL
Gary Sportsman Club
Hammond Trophy Shoppe
Mercantile Bank
NIPSCO
Peoples Bank
Pretty Woman & Gentleman Touch Salon
Reflexology
Sand Ridge Bank
Skyview Sunshine
Smith Insurance Agency
Strack & Van Til, LLC
Tula Kavadias, Attorney At Law
U.S. Financial Services, Inc.
Victor Lodovisi, D.D.S.
Weiss Family Charitable Foundation
Yoga Room

Individual Sponsors

Lake County Public Library
2004 Gifts, Donations, Bequests and Memorials

Memorials

Lake County Public Library 2004 Donations

Support from Organizations and Businesses

We apologize if there are omissions from this list. We carefully add donors to our list all year long. Please call 219-769-3541, ext. 315 if you were accidentally omitted.