The Harker Heights Public Library at 400 Indian Trail has been open for just over a year.
The Harker Heights Public Library and Activities Center opened on April 6, 2009. During its first year in operation, the new Library has garnered the attention as well as the excitement of the community and surrounding areas. While most individuals visit the Library to partake of the services, programs, and collections, some come just to view the new facility itself.
Statistics For First Year
Library square footage -- 16,893 sq.ft. + 2801 sq.ft. shared with Activity Center
Circulation (check-out, renewals, and in-library use) -- 123,043
New Cards -- 6594
Patron Visits -- 73,022
Reference and Readers Advisory -- 19,218
Computer Use -- 33,803
# Patron Access Computers -- 15
Items Added to Collections -- 7287
Collections
The Library provides a dynamic collection of fiction, non-fiction, and reference materials in a variety of formats. Most prevalent are our book collections. With the additional space provided by the new facility, the Library staff members are able to provide comfortable space for its collections as well as several display areas. While the Library continues to grow in all areas, this past year’s focus has been on targeting non-fiction titles for homework assignments, about health related issues, about career searching, and about entrepreneurship.
The Library has recently added a new DVD collection for adults and young adults. The Texas State Library and Archives Commission has provided two grants totaling approximately $14,000 from which the Library purchased primarily documentaries, classroom courses, items of literary content, award winners, and highly recommended films important to the film industry. Many of these materials may be used for research and in the classroom. The Library has supplemented the collection with purchases of additional popular items. Our patrons have also been generous in donating many DVD items. The Library has also added substantially to its established DVD and VHS collections for children.
Audiobooks have become popular collections for adult, young adult, and young patrons. The Library currently provides audiobooks on tape, on CD, on Play-a-way (an MP3 player on which only a single audiobook is stored,) and through downloadable audiobooks from netlibrary.net. Recently we have been able to offer a few downloadable audiobooks for iPod users. Most popular audiobooks are fiction titles, language instruction, and The Teaching Company’s classroom courses on topics such as music history, literature, and more.
Total Items In Collection: 47134 copies
Services
The Library provides a variety of services designed to meet the informational, educational, and recreational needs of its patrons. Some of the most used services are the Library’s computer access, the Library’s reference and readers’ advisory assistance in person and through our Reader Recommendation service, study rooms, and our test proctoring service. The Library provides access to TexShare Databases, online databases that collect and distribute authoritative researched information through journal articles, newspaper articles, and other sources. The Library would also like to encourage the use of its convenient drive-through. Staff members will collect requested items and have them ready for patrons at the drive-through.
Programs
The Harker Heights Public Library has for some time been known for its excellent programs. Throughout the first year at the new facility, Library staff has continued to provide a variety of programming opportunities for children, young adults, and teens. Staff members have focused on innovative programs that will bring individuals into the Library.
For children the Library continues to offer a plethora of early literacy storytimes for babies, toddlers, and preschoolers. The Library also offers family and school age storytimes, gametimes, book clubs, craft and gardening programs, and special events such as Youth Arts Festival, Kids Night Out, and Family Game Nights. The Library also provides school tours of the facility. Many of the tours have been in conjunction with the Police Department and the Fire Department so that classes are able to visit several City facilities on a single field trip.
For young adults, the Library offers many new programs including book clubs, movie afternoons, afterschool programs, Anime and Manga clubs, early out programs, and special events including Teen Game Nights. As a result of the large number of teenagers present afterschool, the Library’ game tables, computers, and programming schedule are often full at those times. The Library also offers research tours to middle school and high school classes.
The Library has increased the number and variety of programs offered for adults. While the Library continues to offer book clubs, computer classes, GED and ESL classes, caregiver workshops, and other classes on topics of interest, the Library also offers special events such as a Fall Craft Swap, a classical guitar concert, and a Classic Comedy Film Festival. In response to the needs of our patrons, the Library has focus much of its recent programming efforts on job seeking classes, our job seekers website, and a new resume writing computer program.
