On October 11, 2024 at Lincoln South Rotary Club, we heard from Ryan Wieber, Director Lincoln City Libraries.
Ryan said he always likes to ask which library is your favorite. First, he is pleased with the number of people who indicate they use the libraries. It shows that the residents of Lincoln and Lancaster County support the libraries. Second he said that the library becomes a community that people relate to.
He shared some of the history of the libraries in Lincoln which started in 1877 when the City committed $100 to buy books. Lincoln was approached about a Carnegie library (donated by philanthropist Andrew Carnegie) which was built in 1902 on the site of the current Bennett Martin Library which was built in 1963. There were two other Carnegie libraries - one at Union College and one at 27th & Orchard where Matt Talbot is currently located.
The Lincoln Libraries serve all of Lincoln and Lancaster. There are currently 8 locations and 1 bookmobile. They have 150 staff and work with a budget of $13.3m. He talked about the volunteers pointing out that they don't just work during book sales but that they are helping in the libraries putting books on shelves.
He shared a little information about each of the libraries - their locations, when they were built. He highlighted the Williams Branch which is in the Air Park area. He stated they have had an explosion of use - he believes it is all about visibility and how that area has developed. The branch started in the Arnold Heights area in the Air Park Recreation Center then the Arnolds Elementary School. It is now more visible as part of the Air Park Community Center & Williams Branch Library Development. They are not just serving those visiting the rec center or school - they are serving area families.
Matt talked about a 2019 Gallup survey about how many times a year people do certain activities. Going to the library was the top response. The top responses were:
10.5 times per year - go to a library
5.3 times per year - go to a movie in a movie theater
4.7 times per year - attend a live sporting event
3.8 times per year - attend a live music or theatrical event
3.7 times per year - visit a national or historical part
Libraries are the centers of the community. Neighborhoods love their libraries and they are gathering places for civic engagement. In Lincoln last year:
4,500 study and meeting room reservations used by 6,000 individuals
1,200 children's programs including story time and STEM-related programs
700 adult programs including educational, music, local history and book discussions
80,521 program attendees in 2023
Matt shared a graph of patron visits the past 4 years:
2021 - 596,117
2022 - 691,238
2023 - 785,200
2024 - 822,109
Checkouts jumped by 161,000 from 2022 to 2023. There was a slight decline the next year partly because the library intentionally reduced their digital library. For the 2024 numbers we are seeing an increase in patron visits by 4.8%, program attendance up by 3.7% and summer reading attendance was up 8%.
Matt stated that 14 years ago Amazon saw that they were selling more digital materials than print. However at the Lincoln libraries we still see that 70% of the materials being checked out are physical. Though digital is certainly popular, print still dominates in Lincoln.
Libraries are still popular . . .
. . . as stated earlier neighborhoods love their libraries
. . . libraries are gathering places where people can interact with staff and other people
. . . people come in to use the space - they may not check out a book but may want a quiet place to study
. . . they had 6000 users in the study and meeting spaces last year
There are many plans for the future and recent new features:
- - Library OneCard used both at School and the Public Library
- - They are planning to add two smaller bookmobiles that will be able to go to more locations and attend more events
- - Local History Area at Bennett Martin - bringing all of their materials together
- - The One Book One Lincoln author visit October 14 - Amanda Peters, “The Berry Pickers”
- - Facility Improvements - all branches will be looked at; some need redesigned spaces, improved accessibility; solution for downtown location is needed
Prior to coming to Lincoln in December of 2022, Wieber served as Director of the Kalamazoo Public Library in Michigan. He also previously directed the Van Buren District Library and Otsego District Library in west Michigan, and is a past President of the Michigan Library Association.
Wieber holds a Bachelor of Arts in Public History from Western Michigan University and a Master of Library Information Science from Wayne State University in Michigan.
He’s the author of two books on Michigan history. His passion is introducing and many times reintroducing—today’s public library to residents and demonstrating the value and transformative nature it has for communities.
He is married to Molly and they have three grown kids scattered across the country: Ben, Sophie, and Matthew—and a fourth “adopted” son, Nasrullah, who attends Western Michigan University. He and Molly love Lincoln and enjoy traveling and discovering the state and region.