Sharing our stories... The new year is here and as I look back on 2018 I’m filled with immense pride. As Director, I often second guess whether my mission and vision for the library is meeting the community's needs. However, 2018 was filled with verification that our communities are very supportive and value those missions, visions, and dreams. All four of our library locations saw increased usage in 2018. Not only did we hold 942 programs for 23,270 patrons, our libraries were also continually assisting patrons last year. Our libraries had 1,276 new people register for their first library card. Patrons of all ages checked out more than 341,670 items, and staff trained 49 people with our one on one computer classes. In 2018, we saw the completion of the Marilyn Fram Memorial Park, with the generous donation from the Marilyn Frahm estate and VanTilburg Excavating. A library park has been a long-time personal dream, but with library funding tight, I never expected to see it become a reality. However, because one sweet, kind, and generous lady had such a passion and appreciation for this library, that dream was realized with the help of an equally generous and community minded company, VanTilburg Excavating. After completion in early summer, many library events and programs were held in the park and patrons were often seen enjoying the park on cool summer evenings and beautiful fall days. But the greatest sign that our libraries are an integral part of the communities they serve was the passage of our renewal levy. The .5 mil levy renewal passed at a higher percentage rate than the previous two times that we asked voters for support. Our entire staff truly enjoy assisting patrons of all ages, and we are grateful to a dedicated board who supports and appreciates our hard works. We are humbled by the generosity of our communities and are excited for the New Year. I too, am excited and privileged to be serving our community as the Director of the Mercer County District Library, and look forward to seeing each of you in the coming year, when you come in to utilize what all our libraries have to offer you. Whether that be for books, technology, events, the mineral collection, or just a friendly face, we are here for you. As always, if you have any suggestions, comments, or questions, please share them with me. Elizabeth Muether, MILS | 
