Bangor Public Library

Adult services: the Bangor Public Library contributes to the prosperity and growth of the Bangor region by providing Library services to Bangor residents and non-residents. Last year the Library's adult department circulated 135,497 volumes to 27,751 registered adult borrowers. Nearly 144,400 people, or an average of 493 people a day, visited the Library to check out books, magazines, dvd's, and audio books or to use Public access computers or the high speed wifi, or to read in its reading rooms and study spaces. The reference department answered 14,271 questions from the Public. The local history and special collections area offered local archives, books, maps, and microforms to aid those looking for the history of our region and to help those doing genealogical research. The Library provides regularly scheduled book delivery to retirement communities and nursing homes and home delivery to homebound elders.

Virtual and special services: the Library's website was viewed 225,124 times. As well as 41 Public access computers used by 9,109 people (an average of 31 people a day), and the high speed wifi used on the top five routers by 16,778 users an average of 57 people a day, the Library has a computer lab to provide both computer classes and one-on-one tutoring. The Library provides access to e-books, e-audio books and e-magazines and 9 paid on-line e-resources over and above those offered through the state Library. These resources include american ancestors, jstor, consumer reports, great courses and on-line sources to help local businesses including data axle reference services and demographics now. Views and usage of digital services were 86,101. The Library offers a digital commons to provide access to collections of rare and fragile materials including the Library's wwii posters and regimental histories as well as maps, photographs and yearbooks. The Library works with high school and middle school students to make digital exhibits for the Maine memory network. The Library provides meeting rooms for outside organizations to use. Last year 1,596 meetings were held in the Library's space. It also hosts exhibits, programs and special events. It has monthly art exhibits by local artists in its 4 galleries. It is the music Library for the Bangor symphony, is part of the downtown arts collaborative and serves as the major sponsor of the Bangor book festival. Programs last year ranged from jazz to poetry, astronomy to history and economics to politics. The Library creates original online programming that mirrors some of its traditional in-person programs.

Youth services: an important part of the Library is the area devoted to children and young adults. The youth services department circulated 81,837 volumes to 3762 registered youth borrowers 14 years old or younger. The Library sponsored 640 story times and special programs throughout the year that were attended by 6,033 children. Regular programs range from the full steam ahead session for k - 3 grade students to mother goose story time for children up to 24 months old. Programs for older students include movie night, make your own video games, cooks corner, and the book bunch. The Library holds special events and programs throughout the year including a summer reading program that had almost 400 participants this year.