Renovations at the Manhattan Public Library will see the installation of a new sorting machine at the circulation desk.
Manhattan Public Library Development and Public Relations Coordinator Madison Ogle joined KMAN’s In Focus Monday, saying the circulation desk has moved amid the planned 10-week project.
“It is a pre-sorting machine that, when items get returned, will help reduce staff time when they’re having to sort the items,” Ogle says. “So it will actually speed up the process of returning items to the actual shelves so that patrons can find them easier and hopefully sooner.”
Ogle says with the decision was made to renovate the entire circulation desk amid the machine’s installation. Ogle says library personnel are hopeful to see the desk back in working order by the end of February.
In other news, Ogle says the annual Manhattan Public Library book sale is slated to return in 2022 although a bit later than usual.
A fundraising initiative of the Manhattan Library Association, a ‘friends of’ group helping to support events and programming at the library, Ogle says the sale is typically held in February but is currently planned for late April or early May in light of the current prevalence of COVID-19 in the Riley County community.
“Just hopefully so we can get further from where we are at in the COVID-19 pandemic and maybe see that we can do that safely,” says Ogle. “It is, once again, volunteer-based and we have a lot of people here so we’re just wanting to take those precautions.”
An estimated sum of more than $10,000 is said to have been raised through the sale over the past few years. In light of last year’s cancellation, book bonds granting 20 percent discounts in the 2022 sale were sold last year.
“A lot of the events that you see, marketing initiatives, that kind of stuff, comes from funds raised by those friends groups.”
Ogle also noted that MLA members get early access to the sale, and that memberships are available starting at $10. She says they plan to make the official announcement of sale dates by late March.
Also delayed due to the prevalence of the novel coronavirus in the community are numerous January events. Ogle says all of the library’s free programs through January 25 were canceled. All registered participants should have received notification.
“Our hope is that on January 25, as long as the safety for our community is looking okay to host in-person programs, then we will resume with that,” Ogle says.
Registration for kids, teen and adult programs after January 25 is available online at MHKlibrary.org.
Ogle finally reported on the arrival of new library director Eric Norris, who completed his first week on the job. She says Norris has a long history of and passion for serving libraries.
“He actually comes to us from the State Library of Kansas,” says Ogle. “Prior to that job he actually worked at Hays Public Library where he was the director for six years.”
Ogle says Manhattan is fortunate to have Norris’ leadership, though personnel will miss former director Linda Knupp. Knupp served as director for 20 years.
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