DES MOINES, Iowa — Libraries across Iowa are transforming into community hubs and one Creston library is seeing more community support because of it.
During this fiscal year, the Gibson Memorial Public Library in Creston has seen some positive changes. Starting last October through September, material checkouts are up by 300 items, library visits are up by 13%, and program attendance is up by 23%. Their door count, or the number of people coming into the library, is also up by 2,000 this year.
Library Director, Danielle Dickinson Thaden said there are many reasons why this is the case. One is that more people are returning back to libraries following pandemic restrictions. Another is the changes they made to remove barriers, like removing fines so that patrons wouldn’t feel discouraged to come back after having late books.
They also transformed their space into more than just an area to store …