8984-R2_NewGloucester_2023-2024_AnnualReport_Web

ANNUAL REPORT New Gloucester Public Library

The New Gloucester Public Library recognizes the importance of providing exceptional library service and strives to be an essential resource to 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. Services: Library services include book, audiobook, DVD, puzzle, game, and cake pan borrowing, cloud Library e-book and audiobook borrowing, interlibrary loan requests, technology assistance, in-house laptop/desktop use, printing, copying, scanning, and faxing, free and reduced park passes, free internet access, educational and recreational programming for all ages, and outreach with community organizations. Schedule: NGPL is open to the public 33 hours per week. Sunday 11am 3pm, Monday-Tuesday 11am-7pm, Wednesday 11am-5pm, Thursday 9am-4pm. New Gloucester and Gray residents are eligible for free library cards at both public libraries. This benefit allows residents from both communities to have library access 7 days per week. Thank you, GPL! Use: During FY2024, 9,753 people visited the library. The library created 187 new patron cards. Patrons used 14,035 physical items from the collection and digital items 782 times. Library patrons requested 890 items to borrow from other libraries. The library website: www.newgloucesterlibrary.org was visited 20,127 times. Collections: The library offers collections for children, teens, and adults in formats including regular print book, large print, audiobook, magazines, and DVDs. Patrons have access to online cloud Library e-book and e-audiobook items and the Maine Digital Library databases. In FY2024, the library added 1,988 physical items to the collection. If the library does not have titles, you are looking for, please let us know so we can borrow via ILL or purchase it. In addition to information resources, we also lend puzzles, cake pans, discounted passes to parks and museums, and a seed library where you can take or donate seeds. Canoes and kayaks can be borrowed at the library and used on the Royal River; they are provided by the NG Parks and Recreation department. Technology: The library offers free internet service in the building and parking lot. There are 4 laptops and a desktop computer available for use.

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