Shelby Area District Library

Library Showcase:

Just like you can’t judge a book by it’s cover, you can’t judge a library by it’s exterior. A cover of a book can entice a person to open it, but the real experience of a good book happens within the covers. Just like a book, looking at the outside of a library building will not allow you to experience all a library has to offer. The Shelby Area District Library has an inviting exterior, but the interior is where the various chapters of the library “book” is experienced.

Upon opening the doors of the library, the experience begins. One or more of the ten staff members greet the reader. The staff plays the most important role in the library story. The staff is lead by Director, Sally Diepen, who has worked for the library for the last thirty-eight years. Staff pays particular attention to providing friendly service and each staff member’s individual skills and talents are utilized in order to make this happen.

After the initial greeting, the visitor then can choose to explore the shelves of forty-two thousand items or use the public computers. Thanks to a recent remodel and addition in 2003, patrons can also enjoy a good book in the new reading area. The remodel and expansion was made entirely possible through a $400,000 trust that was given to the library from a couple that donated over $6 million dollars in their will to local organizations, the library being one of the recipients.

Staff of the library is ensuring that the already written chapters of the library and community history are being preserved through their local history efforts. A local history committee combs the community for items to add to the local history room and of the staff has began the task of documenting oral histories of community residents.

Kids of all ages are welcome to open the door of the library and participate in one of three age appropriate groups: Fun Fridays with Miss. Tif - ages 2-6; Teen Movies on Thursday from 4-6; and Tween events at various dates. The groups are fun for participants and staff.

During the first weekend of December, the interior of the library is the place to purchase your Christmas tree. For the past ten years, the library’s Friends of the Library group has organized a Christmas tree auction. Organizations and groups from the Shelby area decorate trees and holiday wreaths and donate them to the library. Schools, day cares, and individuals get involved in the decorating. During the auction there is live music and refreshments. Through this annual Fundraiser the F.O.L. group has been able to donate $40,000 to the library.

For those residents who can not physically come to the library, they are still invited to share in the experience by utilizing the services of the library BookMobile. The Bookmobile operates from April to October each year and the route includes four stops. Patrons can call ahead with their book selections and then they are loaded into the Bookmobile.

In order to keep residents informed about services and special events, the library is beginning to compose and distribute a monthly newsletter. This is a joint effort between the Friends of the Library group and library staff. The staff is writing and gathering material for the newsletter and the F.O.L. group is paying for the mailing costs of the newsletter.

In May of ‘07, the library will celebrate it’s 100 th year of service. In conjunction with planning for celebration events of their anniversary milestone, the library plans to do some additional minor building improvements.

Chapters of the library are continually being written on a daily basis. As with a good book, readers return to the story several times because of the pleasure that it brings. The excellent staff, programs, events, and collection will make readers want to enjoy the “story” of the Shelby Area District Library over and over again.

We salute the Shelby Area District Library for all they have done for their community and are proud to have them as a member of the Mid-Michigan Library League.

Mid-Michigan Library League- 210 1/2 N. Mitchell- Cadillac, MI 49601
Phone: 800-968-0046 Fax: 800-968-3297

Website design: Holly Mercer
Last Update: March 29, 2007