April 29, 2020
Writing a New Chapter
It was nearly 4 years ago this month that I began my tenure as the Director of the Tipp City Public Library. Since that time, I have focused much of my energy on getting the library reconnected to its community in keeping with that directive as provided to me by my Board of Trustees. With many years of experience with academic libraries, I was new to the world of public libraries. I would frequently speak with the library directors from other small towns and I could often feel their envy of Tipp City having a library that is physically located in the community’s walkable historic downtown. I cherish this niche that our library enjoys and I agree with them; we are indeed quite fortunate. I feel this way now more than ever.
During these past four years, I have felt successful in my efforts as I saw many new relationships and collaborations begin to flourish and become a part of our identity. The staff of the Tipp City Public Library has been working regularly with our school district, Tipp Monroe Community Services, Rotary, Tipp City Enrichment Program, Downtown Tipp City Partnership, City of Tipp City, Dayton Literary Peace Prize, Tipp City Foundation, Josef Barnhart Endowment Fund, AARP, and so many more.
When we had to shut our doors on March 20th to our community, it felt wholly unnatural. How could the library continue to meet the needs of the public without the personal interactions that we find to be so important?
With a new vision for this challenging period of time, we found that the electronic resources that we frequently tout to our patrons suddenly became essential tools which were crucial to allowing the library to continue to serve our public.
We took to social media with our Live@11am programs. Storytime, crafts, learning how to juggle, learning about beer and homebrewing, hearing a favorite poem or seeing favorite teachers read, and hearing from our staff about how to deal with the stress of this all. We have learned that our community and companionship can, in fact, continue and even thrive with this reimagined format.
Despite these successes, we sorely miss the daily interaction with our patrons and long for these opportunities for personal connection. Once the library staff can return to the building, we will begin to work towards restoring the core services that so many of you depend on. We are excited to announce that we are beginning to work on Phase 1 of this plan, the first steps in working towards that important goal.
During Phase I, we will open the north entrance of the library for Curbside Services. This will begin on Monday, May 4 at 10 a.m.
We will have materials you have requested ready for you to “grab and go.” Materials will already be checked out to you. There will be shelves in this area with your items clearly marked with your name.
Requests for Curbside Service at the north entrance can be made in several ways.
- Phone us at 937-667-3826 from your home phone, cellular phone or from the phone that has been installed at the north entrance of the library. This number will connect you to someone at the library desk who can help with your requests.
- Email your requests to us at info@tippcitylibrary.org.
- Request items directly from the catalog on our website and place a hold for them from your mobile device or home computer.
Please be aware that entrance to any other part of the library will be prohibited during this initial phase. The main doors on Main Street will have to continue to be locked.
Also, at this time, requests will only be for the items housed in our library, as the statewide sharing program has not restarted as of yet. We hope to see these deliveries resuming in the weeks ahead.
Hours for Curbside Services:
- Monday - Friday 10 a.m. - 6 p.m.
- Saturday 10 a.m. - 5 p.m.
As we begin to write this new chapter for the Tipp City Public Library, we recognize that although helpful, Phase 1 of our reopening will still fall short of a full restoration of the services that our community has come to depend upon and enjoy.
Please rest assured that Phase 2 preparations are underway during which we are carefully making changes to the building in accordance with best practice guidelines from the state and local health officials which will allow us to fully reopen our doors.
In June, the Tipp City Public Library will celebrate its 97th anniversary as a vital part of the fabric of this community. It is and has been our great privilege to serve the people of Tipp City in whatever capacity we are able. Our library employees cannot wait to greet, gather and connect with you again at 11 East Main Street.
Lisa Santucci
Tipp City Public Library Director
