Sisters Library is keeping the young folks reading

When the Deschutes Public Library System board of directors came to town last week (see story, page 13), it gave Sisters Librarian Peg Bermel a chance to do a little bragging on her institution.

As she led the board members and their chief of staff, DPLS Director Michael Gaston, on a tour of the new building that will be opened in mid-December, Bermel cited several statistics to indicate trends in the current library:

• Circulation of library items overall increased 15 percent during the fiscal year that ended June 30. This included 102,000 books and other items.

• Circulation of items for children (to age 12) increased 14 percent.

• This summer saw an increase of 87 percent in hours of reading by participants in the library’s summer reading program for teenagers.

• There was an increase of 37 percent in the number of hours of reading by those in the children’s summer reading program.

Bermel said shelving space for materials for teens will expand by 300 percent in the new library, while the children’s space will grow by about 150 percent. In total, the new library will contain 8,300 square feet, compared with 2,600 in the current library.