8646-R1_NewGloucester_2022-2023_AnnualReport_Web

ANNUAL REPORT New Gloucester Public Library

The New Gloucester Public Library recognizes the importance of providing exceptional library services and strives to be an essential part of our community. Mission: The New Gloucester Public Library promotes literacy, lifelong learning, and cultural enrichment by providing quality information resources, services, and programming to all members of the New Gloucester community. Use: During FY2023, 10,702 people visited the library. The library created 254 new patrons accounts. Patrons used 15,260 physical items from the collection and digital items 993 times. The library requested 367 items to borrow from other libraries for patrons. Services: The library provided services, including reference and research assistance, readers’ advisory, interlibrary loan, technology assistance, printing/copying/scanning, programming for all ages, and instruction to school classes. Schedule: Patrons have well received the new Sunday-Thursday library schedule. New Gloucester residents are eligible for a free card at the Gray Public Library, which is open Tuesday - Saturday. Residents of both communities continue to have access to a library 7 days per week. Collections: The library offers collections for children, teens, and adults in formats including books, e-books, large print books, books on CD, e-books, e-audiobooks, magazines, DVDs, and access to online databases. In FY2023, the library added 2,133 physical items to the collection. If the Library does not hold what you are looking for, please let us know so we can borrow or purchase it. In addition to information resources, we also lend puzzles, cake pans, discounted passes to parks and museums, and canoes and kayaks provided by the Parks and Recreation department. The library now has a seed library where you can take and use or donate seeds too. Technology: The library offers free Wi-Fi in the building and parking lot. There are 4 laptops and a desktop computer available for use.

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