Library Notices Now By Text

Are you one of those people that use their phones primarily for texts and data?  If your phone rang, would you know to answer it?  Now the library can send your hold notices as texts to your phone.  Just ask staff to update your account and starting the next time you have items placed on the hold shelf your notice will be send by text.

Open more in 2012

We are looking to extend our hours starting in January.  The following has not been approved by our library board yet, but it looks like the hours we will be open during 2012 will be changing to:

Monday: 2pm-5pm
Tuesday: 9am-7pm
Wednesday: 9am-7pm
Thursday: 11am-5pm
Friday: 11am-5pm
Saturday: 9am-7pm
Sunday: closed

Books for Businesses

Our Friends group has decided to take totes of books to local businesses to leave for employees to read on break, take home, etc.  We have chosen three of the larger businesses, Bush Brothers, Nortec, and MRS, to start with and each place seems pleased with the idea.  We have asked our "craft guru" to design the totes and are planning on delivering the books to these businesses some time in January. 

These books will be more of the "take a book, leave a book" variety with the Friends group resuppling the tote as it empties or needs to be refreshed.  We are hoping that the program does well and that more businesses will be able to participate later in the year.  This trial run is simply to see how well the program is received by the businesses and the employees and to see how much time is needed to stock the totes.

Hoping all goes well...

Tickets on sale now

Antiques Appraisal Event

With Mark Moran

Saturday, December 10

9 am – noon at the Augusta Senior Center

The Friends of the Augusta Library welcomes Mark Moran, a former senior editor for antiques and collectible books with Krause Publications out of Iola, WI. Moran is the author or co-author of more than 25 books on antiques and collectibles and has bought and sold antiques for over 30 years, specializing in vintage folk art, Americana and fine art. He has been active as an antique and fine art appraiser for more than 20 years, has served as a guest expert on Antiques Roadshow and recently started his own “mobile” antiques appraisal business which has him visiting libraries and historical societies all over Wisconsin and other Midwest destinations. Take a look at Mark F. Moran Appraisals and see him in action.

Only 40 items will be appraised during this event

Those interested in having an item appraised are required to schedule a reservation with the library. Tickets for this event are $15. 

For a list of objects that could be considered for appraisal, please visit the library; email: aulib@augustalibrary.org; or phone: 715.286.2070

Observers are welcome!

Please stop in at the library to purchase your ticket as soon as possible.

This event is to take place at the Augusta Area Senior Center.

Nooks come to AMPL

With some leftover grant money the library has decided to purchase 3 Nooks for patrons to check-out.  The order was put in just minutes ago, although it will take me a few weeks to get them ready for check-outs. 

AMPL TURNS 100

The first Augusta library was started in September 1911.  City members had worked on the project of securing a public library for over a decade before the doors opened.  The library was located in the City hall and was open Friday afternoon from 2 until 5 to give out application blanks to those who wished to apply.  Books were given out on Saturday to those who had their applications properly filled in.

In January, 1901 when the effort of organizing the public library was first started, donations totaling $570 were collected as proof that the town was truly interested in the project.  The committee wanted to raise $1,000 before any “definite action” be taken. 

Miss Maude LeRoy was the first to encourage the organization of the committee and recommended ways to maintain a library in a city the size of Augusta. 

Prior to the library opening, ninety seven books were purchased totaling $56.64.  Other books were secured from the state and county traveling library collections, which would remain in Augusta on a rotating basis to be removed some months later and replaced with other titles for little to no cost.  All together the starting collection was 241 books.

During its first month, the library was open 12 times and registered 102 patrons.  186 books were circulated with rental fees of $230 being paid.  These fees, along with $.68 paid in fines, were used by the library to cover current expenses and purchase new books.

One hundred years later, we have in-house 12, 543 books, 1519 videos, and 715 audio materials with access to MORE and over a million items available at the press of a button—often within a weeks time.  Our operating budget, provided almost entirely through city and county funds, is over $99,000 annually.  In 2010, our annual circulation was 33,666 items with any given month averaging about 2550 items.