Report: “Missouri Town of Just 304 Residents Supports a Public Library”

From The Missourian:

It was founded in 1990 as a branch of the Mexico-Audrain County Library District. Over time, the Martinsburg location has grown to have 502 registered patrons and 13,907 books, periodicals and audio-visual materials.

Branch manager Joyce Gastler is the only employee. She orders the books, checks them out, manages the finances, tidies up at the end of the day.

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Young adults in Martinsburg occasionally use their Nooks or Kindles to read digitally, but many will still check out paperbacks from the library.

“It’s exciting when a kid comes in to ask if I have a book,” she said. “If I don’t have it, I will get it. It’s neat to see the kids come in and see them sharing (what they’ve read) with each other.”
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Gastler keeps a spreadsheet for frequent customers of books they’ve read and ones they might like. She also keeps patrons in the loop for new material from favorite authors.

“I have a lady who likes David Baldacci, and I always make it a point to call her and say, ‘The book’s here, and if you want it, I’ll hold it for you,’” she said. “She’s always so excited.”

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Learn More: Visit the Mexico-Audrian County District Library Web Site

Filed under: Libraries, News, Patrons and Users, Public Libraries