GRANDIN — Thanks to community response, it looks like the Grandin Public Library will not have to shut its doors... for now.
Earlier in the month Donna Sutton, library director for the Carter County Library, took to social media and posted a grave message: “All you Grandin people. The library in Grandin has had very little circulation for over a year and we are giving the library over February 29 to pick up, or we will have to unfortunately have to close the library in Grandin.”
The social media post went on to explain that there needs to be more patronage on order to keep the library open, as there is too much cost involved in maintaining a building that isn’t used.
“Honestly, for the past year, the Grandin library was averaging maybe one or two visitors every month,” Sutton explained. “There’s just no way to keep the doors open at that rate.”
However, Sutton stated that the post appears to have had the desired effect.
“After I made that post on Facebook, a lot more people started going to the Grandin library,” Sutton stated. “We had several people come in and get library cards and check out books.”
Sutton said she is hopeful the renewed traffic levels stay elevated for the Grandin Library, as there are aspects of using the public library that people might miss when it’s gone.
“We have public internet that people like to use,” Sutton explained. “That’s very popular. Some people use it to search for jobs and do other things because they can’t afford internet for their home.”
When asked whether or not electronic libraries might account for the reduced patronage in the Grandin location, Sutton said that was not the case.
“We’re actually able to track that, and the patrons of the Grandin Library don’t use the electronic library,” Sutton explained. “It’s the same in Van Buren and Ellsinore. People like to feel the feeling of a book in their hands.”
Sutton explained that the same measure had to be taken with the Ellsinore Library, as low numbers at one point threatened to close those doors permanently.
“Sometimes, people need to be reminded of what they have,” Sutton concluded. “When I made the Facebook post about the Grandin Library, I got phone calls and emails from several people in different locations. I even got emails from people who live in Doniphan that were wanting to know if they could get a library card at the Grandin Library. I told them that it’s no problem at all. Of course they can.”
Sutton indicated that the current boost in numbers could be enough to keep the doors open; but, it’s a matter of whether or not those numbers continue to stay up at the levels they have risen to in the last two weeks.
The Grandin Library is open on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., and the Ellsinore Library is open during those same hours on Monday, Wednesday and Friday.