What the Public Likes

Here at the library, the staff is always examining the collection for what materials get the most use from you, the members.  In the last year the most popular items are—

Large Print Books—really no surprise these books get so much use. With larger print than the regular publisher’s copy, these books are easier to read and have many of the same bestsellers as our regular fiction.  (Tip for frequent readers:  sometimes the large print copy of a bestseller doesn’t always go out as fast as the regular print edition of a hot title may –also if a second or third copy of an item is needed due to requests, it will be purchased in large print—so look in the large print!)

Fiction is, as you might expect, another major draw to the library and staff tries to order the most popular titles, and have on hand a good deal of the classics, mystery, romance, paranormal, science-fiction, fantasy, even graphic novels—but if you don’t see what you are looking for, please ask after it (or look in the large print…)

Magazines are unexpectedly popular for an library of this size membership (just around 5,000)—and the library carries about 75 different periodicals, occasionally seeking donations to test out a few new titles and going over the titles on file.  Several new titles were just added in the last few months—Surface (thanks to a grant from the Suttons Bay Art Festival), National Maritime Historical Magazine, Shop Smart, Vogue, and Vanity Fair.

As popular as the DVD and VHS collections are, feature films, television series and documentaries are available on DVD and VHS for all ages—including both Beyond the Bay and Traverse City Film Festival Films—this category came in fourth in items checked out.

Other items available in the library are audio books on both CD and tape, for kids, teens and adult, Michigan History, a whole planet of non-fiction, music on CD, CD-Rom (games, skills tests, create your garden or house plans, typing tutor, math blaster, well…you get the idea).

The library is always looking for ways to improve its holdings—staff will often go through and determine whether an item is in poor condition or is not being checked out enough and let it go (usually to the Friends of the Library Book Sale held on August 7 & 8 this year).  If the book is classic literature or a classic on the subject—depending on the scope of the library collection to support the learning of the public it serves, it may be repaired or replaced, but the collection is constantly being honed to be the best it can be. 

To this end, through a grant from the Friends of the Library and the American Library association, a Board and Card Games collection has been started—new classic board games, and some card games available for checkout,  Also, through a grant from the Grand Traverse Band of Ottawa and Chippewa Indians three new databases, Generations Online, Ancestry.com for Libraries—both available, along with the Michigan e Library databases at your library, and Mango Languages, a living, speaking language program, available through suttonsbaylibrary.org web site  at home—with your library card.  (MeL is also available via internet access from home, but some databases still require a state license or ID to log into them).

As you might expect, there are a large number of children’s and teen item here at the library—and to encourage the kids to use them there is a Summer Reading Program every Friday Morning 10:30am from June 25-July 30! Any child who reads through age 12 may participate in the annual Reading Challenge—prizes supplied by Enerdyne and other local area businesses!

There is much going on at your library this summer—for regular updates, become a Fan of the library on Facebook

Virginia Roberts

Library Director