2020 was one for the books

We don’t want to repeat 2020, but it will be a year that Elkhart Public Library can look back on and feel pride in the services we offered the community.

It may be a not-so-distant memory but EPL doesn’t want to completely forget 2020 – see why in our Annual Report.

It was a year of adaptability for our library, a year of finding new ways to serve our community and also to take our signature programs, things like the Summer Reading Challenge presented by Welch Packaging, and make it easy to do from a distance.

We were largely successful too. Just look at these numbers:

• 58 percent of Summer Reading Challenge participants who completed three weeks of reading, earning a free book and entry into a prize drawing
• 900 children receiving free books during Free Books to Feed Minds events, a partnership with Elkhart Rotary Club
• 241,000 people reached on Facebook, a 24.1 percent increase
• 2,000 net increase in followers
• 3,750 Programs in a Box given out.
• 76 percent increase in Brainfuse, our tutoring and homework resource

Whether it was our Curbside Concerts, Prize Patrol or Free Books to Feed Minds, EPL was in the community providing entertainment, enlightenment and inspiration.