Marilyn June Coffey visit a success!

Thank you to everyone who came to the author visit last evening!  There were scores of people in attendance and plenty of good feedback about the program.  Ms. Coffey is currently touring in the area in support of her book.  Our Friends of the Library group has always been very supportive in helping us to bring authors to Hutchinson.

So, now who would you like to see here in Hutchinson?

Friends of the Library

HPL has been blessed with a wonderful and strong Friends of the Library group.  They have worked tirelessly for many years with one goal in mind - to get books into the hands of people.  And they have been incredibly successful!  They do this by selling donated books from their shop in the library.  Those $0.10 and $0.25 books have amounted to enough money to help us expand our collections, bring authors here from far-away places, make the summer reading program a success for children, and even build spaces such as this in our library:

These are all things that would not have happened without donated books.  If you have a stack of paperbacks you've read and no longer want, bring them in.  That blockbuster thriller you read once and is now gathering dust - bring it too!  Our Friends of the Library will take them and return the fruits to us all in the form of a better library.

Quiet Reading Room

Study carrels

We are moving steadily along with the renovation of the old quiet reading room.  It is starting to look like what, I think, we were looking for in a nice study space.  This project has been funded almost entirely by the Friends of the Hutchinson Public Library!  We are planning a grand opening for mid-July - watch for an official announcement.  The pics you see here are part of a series that Annette Smith has been collecting.  More of them can be seen on Facebook.  The wainscot you see in the room was created using oak hardwood paneling salvaged from the Women's Civic Center building.

An early shot

Same wall with wainscot, new door, and trim

Now with floor and some of the new furniture

Friends Book Sale - Bargains Galore!

Once again the Friends of the Hutchinson Public Library will be holding a big book sale in the library basement. This semi-annual event offers some great bargains to book lovers from all around, April 2-4.

If you purchase a membership in the Friends organization, you can come for the special "Friends Night" and be among the first to have a crack at the items for sale the evening of April 2nd, 5:30-8pm. Friday, April 3rd the sale is open to the general public 9am-5pm. The final day of the sale is Saturday, April 4th from 9am-4pm. This last day is traditionally "sack day" where each sack you fill costs only $1!

There are few opportunities that I know of where you can get such bargains on books as you will find at this sale. Please come by and browse, I am positive you will not be disappointed!