Ferndale Library: Your Library is E-Volving

Funny how many people think the library got left back behind in the 20th Century. Not only can you download an eBook from home with your library card, but you can check out MP3 files of audiobooks onto an iPod or smartphone. Forget loaning and late fees; Ferndale Area District Library is evolving into more of a community center, hosting book clubs, live rock concerts, and even archery lessons.

“I love the library’s Book Party,” said Kricket Hoekstra of the popular reading club that partners with the Emory restaurant. “It’s so much more relaxed than a book club.” The Book Party is a bi-monthly club that reads cutting edge contemporary fiction, with readers holding court in a bar setting, dishing on appetizers as they scrutinize the twist endings. “Sure, we discuss awesome books, but it’s also an opportunity to make new friends with people who enjoy reading in general,“ Hoekstra added.

“I’ve met some lovely, interesting, diverse and thoughtful members of the community through (FADL Book Parties),” said local patron Christina Rogers. “I usually have at least one book, eBook, movie or CD checked out from FADL because they constantly have new releases or staff recommendations that I end up loving.”

EBook Popularity Rising: Ferndale Library is essentially your download destination; in fact, the staff like to think of the library not as a building of books, but as an “access hub” for everyone in need of a digital connection, be that to the Inter- net via the computer labs and free wi-fi or streaming video documentaries.

Ferndale Library staff recorded an 80% increase in eBook checkouts by their patrons over the last five years along with nearly 70,000 virtual visits to the online catalog. With the Overdrive Media app, it’s like Netflix for books. Patrons use their library cards to digitally check-out eBooks and Audiobooks (i.e., downloading them), storing them on their personal devices for up to 3 weeks.

The Social Library: FADL has also established an outstanding social media presence (on Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr, Pinterest and with its own blog, The FADL Observer), averaging 400 engagements per day and tweeting to nearly 1,200 followers, while also building relation- ships through supporting, liking, re-tweet- ing and linking to other organizations, institutions and community members. #LocalLibraryLove

And Then There’s The Rock Concerts: In Ferndale, “Libraries Rock!” isn’t just another cute bookwormy rallying call, it’s made manifest through loud amps, full drum kits and lighting rigs!

START HERE: Saturday is just one face that “shows how much ‘hipper’ and cooler the Ferndale Library is,” said Dan McKernan of Desolation Angels, who recently performed at FADL. “One great thing was the atmosphere; our band loves to play in loud, rocking clubs and bars as much as anyone, but it was a special kind of cool to play in such a different environment, where people could actually hear the notes we played and words that we were singing.”

Celebrate National Library Week 2015 (April 12-18, 2015): A time to celebrate the contributions of our nation’s libraries and its librarians. Consider promoting the unlimited possibilities accessible within these walls, on every shelf and through our computer labs. Who says it should only be one week, though?

http://ferndalepubliclibrary.org