Anyone who has stepped foot into C.H. Booth Library can see how there is a constant bustle of work being done to meet the ever-growing needs of patrons. While it might seem difficult to quantify it all, the town’s library recently released its public annual report that details what the organization was able to accomplish over the last year.

According to the 2020-21 annual report, “The C.H. Booth Library’s mission is to promote the joy of lifelong learning, stimulate curiosity, support the exchange of ideas, and provide a welcoming gathering place for our community.”

Despite the COVID-19 pandemic taking place, the library was able to achieve its goal of satisfying people’s curiosity by having 205 active learning sessions with 3,065 total attendees.

Young readers were able to be inspired through the library’s 197 early literacy and numeracy program for 3,076 child attendees.

There were 67 opportunities for self-expression for 1,287 persons, as well as 14 business and professional programs for 109 attendees to foster successful enterprises.

Additionally, the library was able to partner with the community for 35 cosponsored sessions with 819 total attendees, including 234 adult programs with 3,260 total attendees.

The report also listed that 53,000 patrons visited the building during the fiscal year covered, there were nearly 6,000 wireless sessions, staff answered 6,250 questions, there were 143 on-site programs for ages 0 to 11 with more than 2,000 children in attendance, and 1,500 children finished take-and-make craft projects.

Digital circulations were even up by 23%, and the website saw 82,000 site visits.

The report also noted, “The library listened to the community’s needs and responded with home delivery service Words on Wheels, with support from the Woman’s Club and the Savings Bank of Danbury.”

Further, C.H. Booth Library won a grant for a trailer that will allow its staff members to host a popup library.

“Soon the library will come to you with books, technology, DVDs, answers, health and community information, and events,” the report noted.

Return On Investment

One of the most eye-catching pieces of information in C.H. Booth Library’s annual report for 2020-21 was about its return on investment (ROI).

It stated there was a “$2.33 return on every taxpayer dollar invested in the library.”

C.H. Booth Library Director Douglas Lord told The Newtown Bee that this was accomplished by using a calculator developed by the American Library Association that is utilized by many organizations that support libraries, ilovelibraries.org/what-libraries-do/calculator.

“Every year that I have been in Newtown I do this and make a point of underestimating the dollar impact as a point of modesty, and also so as not to overstate the ROI. It’s not bragging if it’s a fact,” Lord said.

The annual report also pointed out that the library has saved the town $3.25 million with its books, films, digital content programs, WiFi, and databases.

“For this calculator I count only taxpayer dollars, not fundraised monies nor the contributions of the Friends of the amazing C.H. Booth Library,” Lord said. “So the value of the services rendered to the town totals $3.25 million, but we also save the town roughly $250,000 per year that they didn’t have to pay for thanks to our fundraising and the Friends. Otherwise, for that same level of service/ROI the taxpayers would be on the hook for an additional $250,000.

“At the end of the day, libraries save people money because of the economy of scale that occurs when we band together as purchasing consortia [and] the fact that librarians are incredibly frugal yet focused on providing superlative patron services,” he also noted. “When someone doesn’t have to fork over $25 for a hardcover, their money goes back into the local economy. And when 15 people save $25 each, it starts to add up in a significant local way. Every single thing the library purchases comes to us at a discount because we participate in multiple purchasing cooperatives. We really stretch the buck!”

Dedicated Staff

Lord attributes C.H Booth Library’s ability to persevere and achieve so much, even during the COVID-19 pandemic, to its staff and volunteers.

“They are individually and collectively awesome, cheerful, and intentionally focused on solutions rather than problems; these are can-do people,” he said. “The needs of the patrons come first, and when we plug those needs into the structure of the library’s Long-Range Plan, agency-wide solutions become much more clear, be they for children’s programs or small business supports. Our patrons are our reason to get up in the morning, and we are constantly making the community healthier, helping people and organizations succeed, and improving the quality of life in Newtown for all.”

Lord noted that there is no such thing as an “unimportant” job at the library. Whether the tasks being done are big or small, everyone contributes their hard work to making the library a success.

Michelle Brown, president of C.H. Booth Library Board of Trustees, agreed that those who work at the library have done a superb job at being there for its patrons.

“As the COVID pandemic continues, this past year has continued to challenge our community on every level. I am proud of the C.H. Booth Library staff for finding even more ways to meet Newtown’s needs,” she said to The Newtown Bee. “We have continued to supply books, movies, and programs in both electronic and physical, in-person formats so that all our patrons can access library resources in the ways they need. I am proud that we now offer more ways of contactless borrowing, and that the reopened building is fully compliant with current safety protocols.

“We hear over and over that the library is Newtown’s heart,” she added. “I believe this is true both literally and figuratively. Our town-owned building sits smack in the middle of Main Street, and we have continued — through a global pandemic — to promote curiosity, learning, and a gathering place to share ideas.”

To see the C.H. Booth Library’s full annual report, visit chboothlibrary.org/about/look-back-looking-ahead/annual-reports.

Reporter Alissa Silber can be reached at alissa@thebee.com.