Knowing my time in the writing rotation was up, I reviewed some of my old newspaper columns. Believe it or not, I’ve written more than 35.
About five years ago, I wrote one about the “library by the numbers” and was surprised by how much some of those numbers have changed.
With that in mind, here are some helpful numbers that represent the many facets of your Bartholomew County Public Library. All numbers are accurate and through June 29.
31: The length between the library’s main entrance door and reference entryway, measured in I.M. Pei-designed ceiling squares.
9: Age of Bartholomew, the library’s tortoise, who lives in the Children’s Area.
18,754: Titles available to borrow as eBooks from the library’s Overdrive catalog.
14: Directors in the 118-year history of our library.
44: Average weekly attendance in June at the Hope Branch Library’s Rockin’ Storytime. If you haven’t visited our Hope Branch Library, check it out on the town square.
500: Approximate miles traveled by Bookmobile to stops throughout the county in a month. Maybe it stops near you?
22173: The numbers that begin all Bartholomew County Public Library card bar codes. Get yours today. There’s no cost for area residents.
85: Events that were on the library’s program calendar in June. This includes storytimes, guest speakers, craft sessions, outdoor events on our plaza, drawing instruction and more. Always check out our events page at mybcpl.org for the latest information.
808: Non-fiction Dewey number of “The Book of Awesome,” located in our short stories and poetry section.
16: Counties served by Talking Books, located in our library. Talking Books provides free library materials to visually and physically challenged people of all ages.
3,441: Facebook fans of Bartholomew County Public Library. Please “like” us for library event information and fun facts.
67: Instagram followers for our new MyBCPL account. If you like photos of smiling library staff, shiny book displays and fun events, give us a follow.
38: U.S. states that have provided us with interlibrary loan items in 2017. If we don’t have an item that you’re interested in, we can probably get it for you.
5: Number of staff working in the library’s technical services department, the “heartbeat” of the library. They receive and process thousands of items a year for the public to enjoy, and maintain the library’s online catalog records for ease of access.
1,610: Number of Summer Reading Challenge cards that have been redeemed through the first five weeks of the challenge.
20: Height in feet of the Henry Moore “Large Arch” sculpture outside on the library plaza.
Related to those last two numbers, it’s not too late to be a part of the Summer Reading Challenge. Pick up Challenge Cards at any library service area, and complete the cards by attending programs, reading, helping others and more.
Return completed cards for a prize and to be eligible for a grand prize drawing. The Challenge ends July 29, concluding at the birthday party for Large Arch sculptor Henry Moore from 6 to 8 p.m. on the library plaza. Hope to see you there.
Tyler Munn is the reference supervisor at Bartholomew County Public Library. He can be reached at [email protected].
