INSIDE
: Tensions continue to flare at Whitehall city council Volume 2, Issue 40 FEBRUARY 28, 2025
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Everything was golden for Pentwater Township Library’s By Amanda Dodge
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water.” Along with the food, The Oceana Echo the afternoon offered Community Correspondent a plethora of activities, Today may mark the which included display final day of Love Your Li- boards, good conversation, brary Month, but the fes- a number of presentations tivities will continue all and special music providyear long for Pentwater ed by Jim Pikaart and Frank Township Library, who Galante. State Representacelebrated their 170th an- tive Curt VanderWall was on hand, along with Wilniversary two weeks ago. Over 100 people at- liam Campbell representtended the library’s anni- ing State Congressman versary celebration on Val- John Moolenaar’s office. entine’s Day, Friday, Feb. State Librarian Randy Ri14. The turnout exceeded ley also said he made sure the library staff’s expecta- to attend the momentous tions, and Director Mary occasion. Pentwater Township Barker added that she was Library received two procthankful to the many vollamations that day, one unteers who made sure from the state library and they had enough food for one from the government the event. “I think it went really for reaching 170 years, well! Feb. 12 is the official which Barker said they anniversary,” Barker ex- plan to frame and display. “I am so excited to see a plained about the decision great crowd show up to celto have the party two days ebrate Pentwater Library’s later. “We wanted our state 170th birthday. Libraries reps to be here, and usually they don’t have to work on are so important to a small Fridays. Also, when we saw community, providing the it was on Valentine’s Day, access to services and inwe decided to (have) it in formation that many can’t the afternoon, since peo- get. I also appreciate what ple are still out and about they do for our young peoin the afternoon, and then ple and teach them how they can still have their important the informadate night/special night tion is,” VanderWall said. with their sweetie. The “Thanks to everyone intheme for the Love of Li- volved, and I look forward braries worked really well to the next big birthday.” “What a celebration! with that too, and it was a I have been delighted to half day of school for Pentmeet a lot of people and just hear about their insights to books,” Campbell said. “One of the speakers had a great phrase, ‘this is like a living room of the community.’” “It’s a big deal. This community, for 170 years, has supported this library. It’s important to this community, and look at the people that turned out. They obviously love the place,” Riley said. “This is so much more than just a book warehouse. It’s a community. People are meeting people they know
(and) they’re talking to people they don’t know. It’s great. They’ll probably be back next week for a program or to check out a book or take their kid to story time. And it does my heart good to see it. It is the best part of my job. It really matters that these people, the staff, are connected with the people of the community, and that matters.” Barker said that a lot of planning went into the celebration, a hallmark of all of the events at the library. “I had each of my employees create one of the display boards, which took about two weeks. We didn’t have tons of material, so we tried to start grouping things together of what could go together,” she noted. “What started the whole planning (for the display boards) was when I finally found a letter to the editor from Rob Fekken.” She said that his military outfit was in Saudi Arabia, and so he asked the Friends group for funds to buy children’s books. He and his fellow soldiers were videotaped reading the books and then sent the videos to the families who had kids. “That was in a box of stuff, and I hadn’t known anything about it. He had sent a postcard to the library, so I printed off what he said,” Barker noted. “What a statement of what a library can be and how we reached from Pentwater to Saudi Arabia! It was
a great story, buried in a bunch of old folders, and that was the first thing I stuck on my board.” “It’s always amazing to me, the ideas, the creativity, the amount of work that this staff does,” Pentwater Township Library Board President Valerie ChurchMcHugh said. “They talk about it and they plan it, and then you get here and it’s like, it’s amazing! It’s the same for this event. We’ve known it’s been on the calendar, but I had no idea they had all these boards and all this information. It is just lovely to get everybody working together because that means so much.” After the celebration, Barker said that the display boards came down, but they plan to present them at other places. She added that they have kept up the largest display, which is in front of the Circulation Desk. “It’s all the things we do, what services we offer, what things are in the ‘Library of Things.’ It’s all informational. We moved it over a little bit so we can see out the front door.” Attendees of the anniversary event were not only able to learn more about the history of the library and the many offerings it has, but they also got to take home a special souvenir in the form of a custom printed T-shirt. “We got a mini-grant from our Co-op to have something printed for the 170th,” Barker said. “We went around and around
and decided on T-shirts. We (worked with) Dan Nugent from The Mitten and he did a great job - they look really nice! We are going to use some of them that we have left later this year (as door prizes) at our Open House. We will also sell some out of the library.” Barker noted that this is a community open house featuring a large number of local and state entities and takes place the first Monday after Pentwater Public Schools is out for summer vacation. She said that it is especially helpful to people who are new in town, as they can find out about new things and how to join clubs and organizations. Barker will add her own milestones to the 170th anniversary of the Pentwater Township Library, as she is coming up on 10 years as director in November, and this is her 40th year in libraries. Barker said, “My mom was an academic librarian. I love it! Really interesting things happen in libraries. “I’ve had artists and authors pop into some of my libraries over the years. It’s an ordinary thing for them too. It is comfortable here and we like to talk to every single person. It’s about connecting with people. “During Covid and before Covid, there are so many people here that don’t have anyone else at home, and we don’t want people to feel like they are alone. We know what is going on in their life, we talk to them. Because of that, we know more about them, and I know what to order. (For example), if someone is having digestive issues, we are going to get a GERD cookbook so they can help themselves. Knowing people gives you a better idea of what they are interested in, and they are not afraid to tell us what they need, and we want to get them what they need.
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“I save part of my budget for things they want, if there is interest. I can’t order everything, but it keeps them coming back for new things. “I really appreciate the fact that my board is so supportive, I’m excited that the Friends Group helps out. They are wonderful!” The Friends of the Pentwater Township Library has 45 members and is always looking for ways to help fundraise and support the library. The Friends are also open to new members who would like to assist the library in reaching another 170 years. “One of the special things about this little library is that for most public libraries, by their mandate and their budgeted funds and their services they provide, are demanded to be targeted to the community members who are there. Summer people who come, you can’t get a library card, you can’t borrow in most public libraries,” Friends of the Pentwater Township Library President Carol Feltes said. “This library is open to everyone that comes to Pentwater in the summer, and we have a lot of activities. We do the beach book buggy and we do a book sale out here, and it’s very well attended. The fact is that this library is so open, truly to everyone…knowledge should be free. Everyone should be able to access it. Pentwater, as a community, has a small population, but it has a big intellect. Mary does a fantastic job with what she has available here. She’s got a dedicated staff, and they’re very creative.” Currently, Barker and her dedicated staff are preparing for this year’s summer reading program. “It takes us a long time to plan for that, it is weeks and weeks long, and we have arts and crafts activities, special things during Homecoming week and we try to be in the parade,” she explained. “We use the international theme, which this year is ‘Color Our World.’ It’s all things color, so we are trying to come up with activities with color. There are so many things you can do with that.”