Avon Lake Public Library
{{Short description|Public library in Ohio, United States}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=February 2025}}
{{Infobox library
| name = Avon Lake Public Library
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| image = Front entrance to Avon Lake Public Library.jpg
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| country = United States of America
| type = Public library
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| established = 1930
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| location = Avon Lake, Ohio
| coordinates = {{Coord|41.5098215|-82.0141539|display=inline,title}}
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| annual_circulation = 557,498 {{cite web|url=https://library.ohio.gov/services-for-libraries/ohio-public-library-statistics/|title=Ohio Public Library Statistics|accessdate=17 September 2016}}
| pop_served = 23,453 {{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/table/PST045215/3903464|title=United States Census QuickFacts 2015: Avon Lake city, Ohio|accessdate=6 September 2016}}
| members = 27,163 {{cite web|url=https://library.ohio.gov/services-for-libraries/ohio-public-library-statistics/|title=Ohio Public Library Statistics|accessdate=17 September 2016}}
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| director = William Z. Rutger
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| website = http://www.alpl.org
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Avon Lake Public Library is located in Avon Lake, Ohio. In addition to a catalog of materials for children, young adults, and adults, the library offers online resources including Hoopla, OneClickDigital, the Ohio Web Library and the Ohio Digital Library's eBook lending program.{{cite web|url=http://alpl.org/digital-media/|title=Digital Media|accessdate=17 September 2016}} The library's services include public access computers, wireless internet access, notary services, test proctoring, and homebound delivery for those who cannot come to the library in person.{{cite web|url=http://alpl.org/additional-services/|title=Additional Services|accessdate=17 September 2016}}
Avon Lake Public Library also offers an equipment circulation program that opens opportunities for patrons to access media in old and new formats. Equipment available for loans includes turntables, cassette players, and slide scanners, as well as eReaders, tablets, video game consoles and projectors.{{cite web|url=http://alpl.org/borrow-equipment|title=Borrow Equipment from Avon Lake Public Library|accessdate=6 September 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160826023255/http://alpl.org/borrow-equipment/|archive-date=26 August 2016|url-status=dead}} The library further provides tips on reducing the costs associated with cable television subscriptions in its "Cutting The Cord" website section.{{cite web|url=https://alpl.org/cutting-the-cord/|title=Cutting the Cord|accessdate=23 August 2019}}
Programs at the library include genealogy research, craft workshops, book clubs, and gardening instruction, as well as a number of offerings for children and young adults. Of note, the library also offers experiential learning opportunities in its DiscoveryWorks area. DiscoveryWorks includes hands-on exhibits, science-to-go kits, and the Rainwise III weather station that provides local weather information to Weather Underground.{{cite web|url=http://alpl.org/discoveryworks/what-is-dw/|title=What Is DiscoveryWorks?|accessdate=7 October 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161009160217/http://alpl.org/discoveryworks/what-is-dw/|archive-date=9 October 2016|url-status=dead}}
The library's website also provides a special section for teachers who wish to adopt library recommended resources for their lesson plans. The "Parent & Teacher Resources" section offers curated reading lists as well as directions for obtaining Teacher Loan library cards.{{cite web|url=https://alpl.org/parent-teacher-resources/|title=Parent & Teacher Resources|accessdate=23 August 2019}}
History
Avon Lake Public Library opened in a farmhouse on the east side of Center Road in Avon Lake in 1931.{{cite book |last=Vogel |first=Gerry |date=2011 |title=Avon Lake (Images of America)|location=Charleston, South Carolina |publisher=Arcadia Publishing |page=68 |isbn=978-0-7385-8256-6}} In 1957, construction began on a new library building on Electric Boulevard, and the library reopened at its current location on August 11, 1958.{{cite book |last=Walker |first=Milburn |date=1965 |title=The Avon Lake Story |url=http://images.ulib.csuohio.edu/cdm/singleitem/collection/alpub/id/2409/rec/19 |publisher=Kiwanis Club of Avon Lake, Ohio |access-date=2016-09-06 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171216092249/http://images.ulib.csuohio.edu/cdm/singleitem/collection/alpub/id/2409/rec/19 |archive-date=2017-12-16 |url-status=dead }} Several notable expansion projects have been undertaken, including a 1980-1983 project that doubled the size of the library, and a 1990-1994 project that again expanded it to its current space of 55,000 square feet.{{cite book |last=Vogel |first=Gerry |date=2011 |title=Avon Lake (Images of America)|location=Charleston, South Carolina |publisher=Arcadia Publishing |page=68 |isbn=978-0-7385-8256-6}}
In 2014, the Board of Library Trustees approved a $700,000 renovation of the 1994 addition. The renovation was completed by April 2015, and was celebrated with a reception and open house event.{{cite news |last=Short |first=Julie |date=2015-04-02 |title=Avon Lake Public Library renovations complete, hosts open house|url=http://www.cleveland.com/avon-lake/index.ssf/2015/04/avon_lake_public_library_renov.html|newspaper=Cleveland.com |access-date=2016-09-06}}
In 2011, the Library celebrated its 80th anniversary with a commendation from the Ohio House of Representatives and a proclamation from the city of Avon Lake.{{cite web |url=http://alpl.org/about-us/history/history-timeline/ |title=Avon Lake Public Library History |publisher=Avon Lake Public Library |accessdate=7 September 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160730201142/http://alpl.org/about-us/history/history-timeline/ |archive-date=30 July 2016 |url-status=dead }}
Special Collections
Avon Lake Public Library maintains a special collection that includes original materials and reproductions of books, manuscripts, photographs, postcards and correspondence, newspapers and periodicals, films and more documenting Avon Lake city history. While the Avon Lake Local History Collection dates from approximately 1890 to the present, most of the material in the Collection is drawn from the years 1920 to 1990.{{cite web|url=http://alpl.org/about-us/history/avon-lake-local-history-collection/history-1955/|title=About and Purpose: Avon Lake Public Library|accessdate=9 September 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160731133712/http://alpl.org/about-us/history/avon-lake-local-history-collection/history-1955/|archive-date=31 July 2016|url-status=dead}}
Together with Heritage Avon Lake, the library has partnered with the Cleveland Memory Project to create an online collection of historic photographs of Avon Lake history, as well as a repository of digitized documents that includes the archives of the local newspaper as well as high school yearbooks, newspapers and literary annuals.{{cite web|url=http://www.clevelandmemory.org/avonlake|title=The Avon Lake Collection|accessdate=6 September 2016}}
In 2012, the library announced an Avon Lake Local History Art Collection featuring over 40 items representing the history of the city, the library, Lorain County, Ohio, the Lake Shore Electric Railway and Avon Beach Park Resort, and shipping and shipwrecks on Lake Erie.{{cite news |last=Switaj |first=Lori |date=2012-10-11 |title=Historical Collection at Avon Lake Library Unveiled on Sunday|url=http://patch.com/ohio/avon-oh/historical-collection-at-avon-lake-library-unveiled-on-sunday |newspaper=Avon Patch |access-date=2016-09-06}}
Awards and recognition
In 2009 and 2010, Avon Lake Public Library was named one of the Top Ten Public Libraries in the United States in the service category of 10,000 – 24,999 patrons by Hennen's American Public Library Ratings.{{cite web|url=http://www.haplr-index.com/HAPLR100.htm|title=Hennen's American Public Library Ratings|accessdate=6 September 2016|archive-date=23 March 2009|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090323192759/http://www.haplr-index.com/HAPLR100.htm|url-status=dead}}
Steak Sauce
Starting in January 2017, 30 empty A1 Steak Sauce bottles were found in the library over the course of three months. The bottles have been found in the adult fiction and non-fiction sections of the library.{{cite web|url=http://people.com/food/a1-steak-sauce-bottles-avon-lake-library/|title=Someone Is Mysteriously Hiding A.1. Sauce Bottles Inside an Ohio Library: ‘We’re Stumped’|accessdate=10 May 2017}} No one has been able to explain their origin or purpose.{{cite web|url=http://www.cleveland.com/avon-lake/index.ssf/2017/03/a1_steak_sauce_bottles_showing.html|title=It's a mystery: A1 Steak Sauce bottles appear at Avon Lake Public Library|accessdate=20 March 2017}} As of August 2017, 55 cleaned, unlabeled bottles had been found.{{cite web|url=https://americanlibrariesmagazine.org/2017/10/25/a1-mystery-avon-lake/|title=The A1 Mystery of Avon Lake|accessdate=18 November 2017}}
Gallery
File:AvonLakePublicLibrary1.jpg|Avon Lake Public Library
File:Avon Lake Public Library Entrance.jpg|Avon Lake Public Library Entrance
File:Avon Lake Public Library Book Display.jpg|Book display at Avon Lake Public Library
File:Additional Avon Lake Public Library Book Display.jpg|Another view of books displayed at Avon Lake Public Library
File:Avon Lake Public Library CDs for Lending.jpg|CDs for Lending at Avon Lake Public Library
File:Garden Area at Avon Lake Public Library.jpg|Garden area at Avon Lake Public Library
File:Reference Desk.jpg|Avon Lake Public Library Reference Desk
File:Exterior View of Avon Lake Public Library - November 2016.jpg|Exterior View of Avon Lake Public Library - November 2016
File:Avon Lake Public Library exterior.jpg|Exterior View of Avon Lake Public Library - Alternate View - November 2016
References
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External links
- {{cite web|title=The Cleveland Memory Project|url=http://www.clevelandmemory.org}}
- {{cite web|title=Heritage Avon Lake|url=http://heritageavonlake.org/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160323100039/http://heritageavonlake.org/|url-status=usurped|archive-date=March 23, 2016}}
- {{cite web|title=The Ohio Digital Library|url=http://ohioebooks.org}}
- {{cite web|title=Ohio Web Library|url=http://www.ohioweblibrary.org}}
- {{cite web|title=Weather Underground|url=https://www.wunderground.com/}}
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