Westerville Public Library
Encyclopedia
The Westerville Public Library is a public library
that serves the community of Westerville, Ohio
, a suburb of Columbus, Ohio
. As a school district library, its geographic boundaries are defined by the Westerville City School District (Franklin County, Ohio) which straddles both Franklin County
and Delaware County
. All Ohio residents can apply for a Westerville Public Library card.
As of 2009, the library had 95,470 registered borrowers, circulated 2,149,919 items and saw 51,351 people attending library programs and events with total operating costs of $6,055,323.
The library circulates (i.e. allows card holders to borrow) the following types of items in various formats for education or entertainment purposes:
Library card holders also have the option to request items from other libraries through SearchOhio
or OhioLINK
.
The library hosts events and programs for patrons of all ages, including story times, computer classes, book clubs, etc. There were 1,618 events held in 2010.
Library Link, established as a service to replace Project Connect in 2004, makes daily deliveries of Westerville Public Library materials to any participating school in the Westerville City School District. Students, faculty and staff of the participating schools can all receive library materials, except for art prints, as dictated by library policies.
Outreach Services offers free delivery of library materials to persons who are physically unable to visit the library, including the elderly, the disabled and those who are temporarily incapacitated by illness or accident. Outreach also offers free delivery to full-time caregivers and any resident of a nursing home, assisted living facility, or senior apartment within the Westerville City School District, regardless of health or mobility.
The Westerville Public Library website provides free access to the library's catalog
of circulating materials, as well as remote access to an extensive collection of research databases, referred to as Online Collections.
The library's website utilizes several different tools, including Radiant (software)
, Evanced Solutions' Events Calendar, Room Reserve and Summer Reader software, Innovative Interfaces' Encore next-generation catalog and Springshare's LibGuides software.
(Much of the information in this section was provided by the Westerville Public Library.)
The Library is also the home of a museum for the Anti-Saloon League, a famous American temperance organization that was established in Oberlin, Ohio
on May 24, 1893 and dissolved in 1933. The organization was established to "work for unification of public anti-alcohol sentiment, enforcement of existing temperance laws, and encourage the enactment of further anti-alcohol legislation." The city of Westerville, Ohio was dry for well over a century. Westerville was once called the "dry capital of the world", however it has recently relinquished that title as the first legal drink in recent times was served in Westerville in 2006.
On June 11, 2006, the Westerville Public Library unveiled the John R. Kasich Congressional Collection. The collection includes biographical, travel, campaign and Republican Party files from John Kasich
's terms in the U.S. House of Representatives, as well as correspondence with constituents, 1,128 multimedia files, speeches and memorabilia, such as his Congressional desk and the gavel he used as chair of the House budget committee.
Public library
A public library is a library that is accessible by the public and is generally funded from public sources and operated by civil servants. There are five fundamental characteristics shared by public libraries...
that serves the community of Westerville, Ohio
Westerville, Ohio
Westerville, once known as "The Dry Capital of the World", is a city in Franklin and Delaware counties in the U.S. state of Ohio. The population was 35,318 at the 2000 census.-Early history:...
, a suburb of Columbus, Ohio
Columbus, Ohio
Columbus is the capital of and the largest city in the U.S. state of Ohio. The broader metropolitan area encompasses several counties and is the third largest in Ohio behind those of Cleveland and Cincinnati. Columbus is the third largest city in the American Midwest, and the fifteenth largest city...
. As a school district library, its geographic boundaries are defined by the Westerville City School District (Franklin County, Ohio) which straddles both Franklin County
Franklin County, Ohio
Franklin County is a county located in the state of Ohio, United States. In 2010 the population was 1,163,414, making it the second largest county in Ohio and the 34th largest county in population in the United States. Franklin County is also the largest in the eight-county Columbus, Ohio...
and Delaware County
Delaware County, Ohio
Delaware County is a fast-growing suburban county in the state of Ohio, United States, within the Columbus, Ohio Metropolitan Statistical Area. According to the United States Census Bureau's 2004 population estimates, Delaware County's population of 142,503 made it the fastest growing county in...
. All Ohio residents can apply for a Westerville Public Library card.
As of 2009, the library had 95,470 registered borrowers, circulated 2,149,919 items and saw 51,351 people attending library programs and events with total operating costs of $6,055,323.
Location
The library is located at 126 South State Street, in the heart of Uptown Westerville. To access the library's parking lot, turn onto Library Rd from Walnut St.Circulating Materials
The library circulates (i.e. allows card holders to borrow) the following types of items in various formats for education or entertainment purposes:
| Books | Movies | Music | Other |
|---|---|---|---|
| Audiobooks on CD | Blu-ray | CDs | Art Prints |
| eAudiobooks | Described Videos for the Visually Impaired | eMusic | Puzzles |
| eBooks | DVDs | ||
| Large print | Spanish-Language DVDs | ||
| Playaways | |||
| Readalongs | |||
| Somali-Language Books | |||
| Spanish-Language Books |
Library card holders also have the option to request items from other libraries through SearchOhio
SearchOhio
SearchOhio is a consortium of 19 public libraries in the state of Ohio that provides borrowing access to more than 10 million items, including books, movies and music. SearchOhio’s aims to provide easy access to information and rapid delivery of library materials throughout the state...
or OhioLINK
OhioLINK
The Ohio Library and Information Network, OhioLINK, is a consortium of Ohio’s college and university libraries and the State Library of Ohio. Serving more than 600,000 students, faculty, and staff at 88 institutions, OhioLINK’s membership includes 16 public universities, 23 community/technical...
.
Events & Programs
The library hosts events and programs for patrons of all ages, including story times, computer classes, book clubs, etc. There were 1,618 events held in 2010.
Library Link
Library Link, established as a service to replace Project Connect in 2004, makes daily deliveries of Westerville Public Library materials to any participating school in the Westerville City School District. Students, faculty and staff of the participating schools can all receive library materials, except for art prints, as dictated by library policies.
Services for Seniors & Homebound Individuals
Outreach Services offers free delivery of library materials to persons who are physically unable to visit the library, including the elderly, the disabled and those who are temporarily incapacitated by illness or accident. Outreach also offers free delivery to full-time caregivers and any resident of a nursing home, assisted living facility, or senior apartment within the Westerville City School District, regardless of health or mobility.
Website
The Westerville Public Library website provides free access to the library's catalog
Library catalog
A library catalog is a register of all bibliographic items found in a library or group of libraries, such as a network of libraries at several locations...
of circulating materials, as well as remote access to an extensive collection of research databases, referred to as Online Collections.
The library's website utilizes several different tools, including Radiant (software)
Radiant (software)
Radiant is a free software content management system written in Ruby created and designed by John W. Long as a Ruby on Rails web application....
, Evanced Solutions' Events Calendar, Room Reserve and Summer Reader software, Innovative Interfaces' Encore next-generation catalog and Springshare's LibGuides software.
History
The Westerville Public Library has been recognized as being on the "cutting edge" in the technology field; as one study notes, "it was the first Ohio library to provide public internet access, the first to have a Web-based catalog, the first to implement self-check machines, etc."1930s
- 1930: The Westerville Public Library was established on December 15, 1930 and was located on the first floor of the residence of Purley Baker, temperance leader in the Anti-Saloon League. Cora Bailey was the librarian, and within several weeks it contained 3,062 volumes and 885 registered borrowers.
- 1932: The library expanded to the second floor of the municipal building (which is today a part of the municipal complex on State Street).
1950s
- 1952: Jane Bradford became director.
- 1954: A new building was constructed on the current site. It boasted 41,000 volumes and 4,000 borrowers.
1970s
- 1973: The sole trustee of the Anti-Saloon League donated to the library their headquarters, land and extensive 200,000 volume temperance collection. (This building now houses the library's Administrative Offices, Community Services Department, the Local History Resource Center and the Anti-Saloon League Museum.)
- 1979: A levy was passed and 17820 square feet (1,655.5 m²) of space was added to the library, including a public meeting room and a study area.
1980s
- 1980s: The library's catalog became an online computerized system in the 1980s
- 1988: Don W. Barlow assumed the directorship. Dial-up internet access to the library's catalog became available in 1991. Circulation was over 1.2 million and holdings over 200,000 volumes.
1990s
- 1993: Westerville patrons became the first in the state to use self check-out machines.
- 1994: Westerville became the first public library in Ohio to offer full Internet access to patrons via the World Wide Web. The library spearheaded a community information network in Westerville by developing home pages for the City of Westerville, Westerville City Schools, the Westerville Area Chamber of Commerce, and the Westerville Visitors and Convention Bureau.
- 1995: Voters passed a levy by 63% for an expansion project which added 27000 square feet (2,508.4 m²) to the facility, providing space for an expanding collection, increased seating, and a technology center.
- 1997: The library was recognized as a leader in technology in 1997, receiving the "Technology Company of the Year" Award for Central Ohio.
- 1998: Two 1998 Builders Exchange Craftsmanship Awards were earned for outstanding exterior masonry work and the meticulously paneled two-story birch wall in the atrium. The expanded area included a gift shop operated by the Friends of the Library.
- 1999: Patrons were given the ability to reserve items through the Internet and pick them up through a drive-up window. In September 1999, Hennen's American Public Library Rating Index rated 9,000 libraries nationwide and named Westerville Public Library top-ranked library among those serving populations of 50,000 to 99,999.
2000s
- 2000: Book delivery to homebound and senior citizen facilities increased by 135%. In December, the 1983 catalog system was replaced by Millennium, a product of Innovative Interfaces, equipping every computer with Web-based access to the library collection, nineteen databases, a catalog just for kids.
- 2002: The first operating levy for the library passed, assisting with the loss of state funding.
- 2003: Hennen’s ranked the Library as No. 2 in the nation.
- 2004: Library Link was established, a project that provides daily delivery of library materials to every school in the Westerville City School District.
- 2005: The library served the needs of 78,300 cardholders, receiving 621,704 walk-in visitors and .5 million electronic visits. Total holdings are over 347,000 volumes with over 500 periodical subscriptions.
- 2006: A building project was completed that enlarged the Media Department, provided a Computer Room for children and created an area for teens. The library led a consortium of five Ohio county public libraries in the establishment of Search Ohio, a network for sharing resources. The John R. Kasich Congressional Collection was unveiled, the only such collection listed in the National Archives to be held by a public library.
- 2007: A 0.8-mill replacement levy passed by a 78% margin. Circulation topped 1.9 million items.
- 2009: The library had 95,470 registered borrowers, circulated 2,149,919 items and saw 51,351 people attending library programs and events with total operating costs of $6,055,323.
- 2010: Hennen’s American Public Library Ratings ranked Westerville as the 8th best public library in the nation among those serving district populations of 50,000 to 99,999. The library was also recognized as a “Star Library” and awarded a 5-star rating (the highest possible) in the 2010 Index of Public Library Service recently released by Library Journal. (Out of 7,407 public libraries, only 85 received a five-star ranking.)
(Much of the information in this section was provided by the Westerville Public Library.)
Anti-Saloon League Museum
The Library is also the home of a museum for the Anti-Saloon League, a famous American temperance organization that was established in Oberlin, Ohio
Oberlin, Ohio
Oberlin is a city in Lorain County, Ohio, United States, to the south and west of Cleveland. Oberlin is perhaps best known for being the home of Oberlin College, a liberal arts college and music conservatory with approximately 3,000 students...
on May 24, 1893 and dissolved in 1933. The organization was established to "work for unification of public anti-alcohol sentiment, enforcement of existing temperance laws, and encourage the enactment of further anti-alcohol legislation." The city of Westerville, Ohio was dry for well over a century. Westerville was once called the "dry capital of the world", however it has recently relinquished that title as the first legal drink in recent times was served in Westerville in 2006.
John R. Kasich Collection
On June 11, 2006, the Westerville Public Library unveiled the John R. Kasich Congressional Collection. The collection includes biographical, travel, campaign and Republican Party files from John Kasich
John Kasich
John Richard Kasich is the 69th and current Governor of Ohio. A member of the Republican Party, he previously served as a member of the United States House of Representatives, representing from 1983 to 2001...
's terms in the U.S. House of Representatives, as well as correspondence with constituents, 1,128 multimedia files, speeches and memorabilia, such as his Congressional desk and the gavel he used as chair of the House budget committee.
See also
- Anti-Saloon LeagueAnti-Saloon LeagueThe Anti-Saloon League was the leading organization lobbying for prohibition in the United States in the early 20th century. It was a key component of the Progressive Era, and was strongest in the South and rural North, drawing heavy support from pietistic Protestant ministers and their...
- John KasichJohn KasichJohn Richard Kasich is the 69th and current Governor of Ohio. A member of the Republican Party, he previously served as a member of the United States House of Representatives, representing from 1983 to 2001...
- ProhibitionProhibitionProhibition of alcohol, often referred to simply as prohibition, is the practice of prohibiting the manufacture, transportation, import, export, sale, and consumption of alcohol and alcoholic beverages. The term can also apply to the periods in the histories of the countries during which the...
- Public libraryPublic libraryA public library is a library that is accessible by the public and is generally funded from public sources and operated by civil servants. There are five fundamental characteristics shared by public libraries...
- Westerville, OhioWesterville, OhioWesterville, once known as "The Dry Capital of the World", is a city in Franklin and Delaware counties in the U.S. state of Ohio. The population was 35,318 at the 2000 census.-Early history:...