In many ways, 2023 was a year Forest Park Public Library returned to “normal” — or at least the new normal.
During the December meeting of the Forest Park Library Board, Vicki Rakowski, who became the library’s executive director in January, gave her end-of-the-year round-up.
She said that the library usage bounced back to pre-pandemic usage — but the way patrons use the library has changed.
“We feel like we’ve seen the return to pre-pandemic conditions, but even still, people are different,” Rakowski said. “I think we have finally reached our new normal, and we’re adopting to that.”
When asked to elaborate in a follow-up interview, she said that it wasn’t anything based on concrete metrics — just something she and her staff felt based on the interactions with patrons.
“People are different now,” she said. “A lot of us picked up habits during the pandemic and were more introverted.”
The library went through major renovations from 2019 to 2020 and some smaller renovations in 2022. The COVID-19 pandemic disrupted library programs and kept patrons out of the building for months, and it took years for the numbers to recover. Alicia Hammond, head of the library’s community engagement, has in the past told the Review that even in 2022, many patrons were still rediscovering the library and “starting just now to use the [renovated] spaces as intended.”
As 2023 got underway, the renovations were behind the library and the number of patrons checking out materials, using the library services and taking part in the library programs continued to recover. Rakowski said that the pandemic did change some things. There is more interest in group activities and opportunities for people to gather — something that is at least partially backed by patron statistics.
In her presentation, Rakowski added that children had their development disrupted by the fallout from the pandemic, such as schools going remote.
This is the reality the library operates in now.
“People really seem to be craving connections with each other in ways that seem… more obvious and more clear,” Rakowski said. “So, things that staff tried to do is provide opportunities for people, so that they can chat and [interact], and that goes for all ages. We know that’s a need we can meet for all people.”
The report does show that the demand for programs has increased across the board. Rakowski said that the children’s section play space “[has] become a destination location for local families and caregivers of young children.”
“The staff has watched it become a lively connection point for our caregivers and their kids at a time when that social interaction and connection is really craved,” she said.
To further shore up the children’s programming, the library has been building partnerships with Forest Park businesses that work with children, such as Let’s Play Work, a Forest Park indoor playground, Creating Aquatic Safety Teams Water Safety Foundation, and Tooth Buds pediatric dentistry.
“Let’s Play Work has been a great partner for us,” Rakowski said.
The Young Adult department has seen enough interest to justify the revival of the teen volunteer program, and the teen advisory council is back up and running. The library has been working with the Park District of Forest Park to offer cooking classes for teens.
“The Park District was really open-minded, and we had seen some good stuff come out of it,” Rakowski said.
On the adult services end, the library has been expanding programs for seniors, which Rakowski said, some of the participants described as a “lifeline.”
“We have a robust following for our Social Circle, Tai Chi, and Yoga classes,” she said.” These programs have provided community members with the opportunity to create and sustain rewarding relationships with each other, as well as another way to stay active and create well-being.”
All this comes as the number of materials patrons check out — whether they’re physical or digital, increased by 7%. Some of the less traditional materials are also doing well — Rakowski said that children’s services learning play kits has been “a major star with our youngest patrons.
She said that the campaign to get patrons to either sign up for library cards or renew their expiring library cards has been the most successful since before the renovations, with around 150 patrons signing up or renewing.
Overall, Rakowski told the Review, that after a “double-whammy” of the renovations and the pandemic, she and the staff were happy to see more and more patrons using the library.
“People are just happy to be together again,” she said. “We see a lot of new friendships form, and it’s a joy for us, too. “