The Candy Lady leads a chocolate class at the Antwerp Sunshine Branch.
The teens now have a space of their own at the Bangor Branch, complete with comfy chairs, books, and art supplies!
Now the Gobles branch can cut paper with ease for programs and displays.
These seats will be quickly filled at one of Lawrence’s many great programs!
Story Time is so much fun at the Webster Memorial Branch with the new colorful rug!
In 2024, the Friends of Van Buren District Library (VBDL) continued their annual Branch Grant program to great success. In May of 2024 the Friends of VBDL gave out $2,700, or $450 to each eligible branch in the VBDL system. Grant funds could be used for anything that library staff believed would advance the mission of the VBDL to provide “equitable access to a world of resources, reading, and lifelong learning”. These grants were made possible through the member fees and donations raised by the Friends of VBDL. The Friends of VBDL provide Branch Grants each year to the branches of the Van Buren District Library system.
Each VBDL branch had an opportunity to share how the grant funds were used locally. The staff were creative in how they used the additional funding to improve the library experience for visits. Below is a summary of how they grants were used.
Antwerp Sunshine – Mattawan
The Antwerp Sunshine Branch put their grant funds towards bringing some delicious programming to their patrons. Brenda Decker, Branch Manager, brought in The Candy Lady from Portage to teach 20 people how to make sweet chocolate treats like peppermint bark and butterfly suckers. According to Branch Manager Decker, “Everyone enjoyed the class and asked if we could have her back!”
Bangor
Over in Bangor, the branch used the 2024 grant to make a portion of the library more welcoming for teens with the goal to bring more teen patrons in. The items below were all purchased to create a Just for Teens space to help the library meet everyone’s needs. In addition, a divider was added to create a small nook with a little more privacy to house them in.
The Bangor branch filled the teen space with the items below to fill out the space: Two swivel chairs, a small table, a phone charging station, a teen art cart, card games, teen resources, and two bean bags. Branch Manager Yvette Hamilton was happy to report that “So far we have had great response!”.
Gobles
The Gobles Branch Library was able to use their grant funds to help enhance the library’s programing offerings. The branch has had recent success reaching a hard to hit demographic with a graphic novel book club targeted at youth aged 8-13. Staff used the branch Grant to purchase graphic novels for the book club members to keep. Funds went to support the return of walking tour programs with the purchase of portable headset/microphone and speaker. As branch Manager Barb Insidioso says, “We have that now, ready to help us launch in 2025!”
The Gobles branch also used some of the grant funding to make it easier for staff to do their jobs. First a long-standing problem of moving materials to off-site events (back-to-school nights, literacy nights, etc.) was solved with a heavy-duty collapsible wagon. Lastly, the branch was able to replace an aging, but still technically functionally paper cutter with a new one. The library cuts a lot of paper for programs and the new machine is making a difference. “WOWEE! The blade makes such a satisfying swish on each cut! The staffers who plan our programming cannot stop singing the praises of this paper cutter.”
Lawrence
The Lawrence Branch also used their grant funds to make program logistics easier for staff and patrons. The Branch purchased additional seating, and storage. The branch reports that “We often have a full house for programs and use every chair in the building, including the children’s seating. These additional chairs will help us accommodate a big group and they are easily stored on our back room wall.” The branch also improved the program experience for presenters by purchasing an adjustable laptop stand that can easily be moved around.
Webster Memorial
In Decatur, the Webster Memorial Branch is planning to cook up some great programs with their branch grant funds. The money was used to purchase a hot plate and kitchen utensils for cooking programs. These have already been used for a ramen cooking program. The children’s area also got a new alphabet rug to replace a one that had been well loved. The rug is used to “sit on and it cements the alphabet through letter recognition fun (‘Can you go sit on the G?’)”.
This branch also purchased a cart to make storing and moving supplies, specifically one for craft program supplies. The branch is very pleased with this, reporting “Before having this cart, Emily had to continuously lug all the supplies from the basement, and this not only organizes them, but is very easy to put on the elevator and push into the Community Room for programs.”
Friends of Van Buren District Library
The Friends of Van Buren District Library was established in 1983 with the mission of maintaining an association of people interested in supporting and encouraging the use of our Van Buren District Library System. That mission continues to this day with the funds raised going back to support programming, staff development, and more at the seven branches of the Van Buren District Library.
The Friends of VBDL are always looking for members to join us in support of our local libraries. For more information or to join the Friends of VBDL please email WebsterFriends@VBDL.org or call (269) 436-0520.
