IN Norwin Spring 2018 | Page 5

Providing Value and Savings To A Community There are few better ways to provide direct savings to a community than a public library system. I n 2017, the library was supported by the Norwin community through combined contributions of $481,730, an average of $26 per household. We are always grateful for the support that the community has demonstrated for us, and we make it our mission to return that value to the community in the form of materials, programs, Internet access and other services. We hope you’ll agree that the return on that investment over 2017 was truly remarkable. 52,466 hardback adult books were borrowed that would have cost Norwin residents $1.4 million if they had purchased them themselves. We also loaned 16,000 paperback books at a savings of $112,000. Residents also borrowed 16,700 ebooks and downloaded audiobooks at a savings of $183,000. 49,514 children’s and young adult books were borrowed, saving Norwin families $1.1 million over the course of the year. 21,937 CD and DVDs borrowed saved $110,000. Altogether, that combined savings to the community was more than $2.9 million in 2017 alone. That number does not include the more than 8,000 children and adults that benefitted from one of our library programs or the 14,500 hours that patrons spent using one of our 26 public access computers or the 3,850 hours spent using our free WiFi services. Of course, we’re proud of the 600% return on investment we provided to the Norwin community, but we are sure we can do better in 2018. We’d like to invite everyone who hasn’t used the library lately to visit us again. We are open seven days a week. If you like to read, watch, or listen, we have something for you. HOMEBOUND SERVICE DELIVERS BOOKS, LIFTS SPIRITS Norwin Residents who are unable to physically visit the library can still benefit from library services. Our homebound delivery service will visit local homes and rehabilitation faciliti es one or two times a month and bring books, paperbacks, books on CD, DVDs and other materials. Overdue fines are not assessed for homebound delive ry materials. If you have a friend or loved one who is no longer able to drive, contact Amanda Mitchell at the Norwin Library by calling 724-863-4700 x112 or emailing amitchell@norwinpublicli brary.net. LOCAL AUTHORS INVITED TO LIBRARY’S AUTHOR SHELF To highlight and support the talented local authors both in our community and across Westmoreland and surrou nding counties, we are happy to create a “Local Authors Shelf” in the library near the new books. Authors interested in having one of their books placed in our collection, should complete and return the form found on our website with a donated copy of their book. The Local Authors Shelf is for works published within the last five years by authors who live in or have a long standing connection to Westmoreland County or a surrounding area. Books must be professionally bound and available for purchase through a traditional retail or online publishing comp any. Fiction and Non-Fiction books should be 100 bound pages or greater. Children’s books must be at least 28 bound pages. Books of poetry should be at least 50 pages. Submission forms can be obtained at the library or on the Norwin Public Library website at: https://norwinpub liclibrary. net/about-us/authors-shelf/ 100 Caruthers Lane, Irwin PA • www.norwinpubliclibrary.org • 724-863-4700