Highlights and Accomplishments in the Past Five Years at Darien Library

Almost a week before the Darien Library Annual Meeting on Sunday, the library emailed a list of highlights and milestones from the past five years.

The list seems to reflect part of what Library Director Kiera Parrott will be discussing at the meeting, which starts at 5:30 p.m., Sunday, Sept. 14 with reception on the first floor. Following that, the Annual Meeting takes place the nearby Community Room. The event is expected to end at 7 p.m.

Here’s the list from the email:

Highlights & Accomplishments

Over the past five years, Darien Library has seen a transformation of its infrastructure, collections, and services to meet the current needs of patrons. Some of the recent accomplishments of the Library and its extraordinary staff have included:

1. Increasing Library usage by
   • 6.4% — Reference questions
   • 7% — Library visits
   • 8.1% — Items borrowed
   • 21.1% — Program attendance
   • 125.4% — Meeting room bookings
2. Expanding private meeting room space with the addition of two study pods and two phone booths via generous grants from The Darien Foundation (as well as grants for the website, catalog, and the Café).
3. Upgrading Library technology including new public computers, WiFi network, projector and screen in the Community Room, a large screen in the Heron Room; expanded cellphone reception on the Lower Level; and migrated to a new website and catalog interface.
4. Strengthening community partnerships by launching The Café at Darien Library with Abilis; co-sponsoring programs with the Darien Chamber of Commerce; and hosting 41 organizations at Lit Tree Lane.
5. Responding to the changing needs of the community through new or expanded services including job training with American Job Career Coach, supporting local businesses through outreach visits, adding more accessible technology and resources, and increasing the number of staff and programs for tweens and teens.
6. Bonus: The President’s Series on Intellectual Freedom, a collaboration with the Library Board of Trustees, won the CT State Library Excellence in Public Libraries Award for Civic Champion.