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Wayne Public Library celebrated 25 years in 2021

By Carolyn Marnon their own individual libraries.
“This building became a library When the Wayne Public Library
when the people walked in,” said opened in 1996, there was no debt
then-Library Board President Ed owed on it. “This is another one of
Marman at the dedication ceremony the jewels we’re going to add to our
of the Wayne Public Library 25 years collection,” then-Mayor Ken Warfield
ago. told the audience who attended the
Twenty-five years later, the library dedication ceremony. Some of the
still exists to serve the community, al- services mentioned on the dedica-
though the ways in which it does the tioncCeremony booklet included of-
serving have changed. Even with The Wayne Public Library ferings of video tapes and facsimiles.
COVID-19 present, the Wayne Public you can buy an all-in-one desktop or study at. Over the last 25 years, the Have you ever stopped to look at
Library checked out over 42,000 dig- laptop computer with so much more ways people use libraries has the library’s logo? Lois Van Stipdonk,
ital and physical materials last year. power with gigahertz, gigabytes and changed. Yes, people still check out the Wayne library’s first Library Di-
According to Library Director Jody tetrabytes for $600. books, but now there are so many rector, explained that they wanted a
Wolak, that’s the highest number of In 1996, a standard TV was con- other things they can check out. fresh start for the library. Because
circulations the library had seen in sidered 27 inches, and cable TV was There are music CDs and movie the old library had been so cramped,
the last five years. all the rage. In 2022, high definition DVDs. You can even check out e- they felt they could spread their
What can change in 25 years? In and flatscreen TVs are the norm books to read on your computer or wings in the new 24,000 square foot
1996 when the Wayne Public Library with an average 50-inch screen size. audiobooks to listen to. The library library. The logo symbolizes “the li-
opened, cell phones were not com- TVs are now “smart” and streaming can get you a book it doesn’t have brary’s emergence from the cocoon
monplace, they were bulky, and they services consume viewers screen from another library without you of the old building and from being
sported antennas. In 2022, cell time. having to travel to that other library. just a branch of the old library to
phones are handheld computers that In 1996, less than 17% of house- You can access the internet at the li- being our own independent library.”
almost everyone carries with them. holds had access to the internet. In brary if you don’t have it at home or “I know the library will continue
In 1996, a desktop computer 2022, that figure is now over 85%. use one of the computers in the li- to flourish as the gem of downtown
sporting megahertz and megabytes Libraries were once thought of as brary. Where once you had to search Wayne and will keep spreading its
would cost you over $4000. In 2022, places to go to check out books or to the card catalog to locate books on wings for many years to come,” said
your topic of interest, now you can Van Stipdonk.
just do a computer search and sift “No matter how much technology
through the array of materials that or the world changes,” said current
appear on the screen in front of you. Library Director Jody Wolak, “the li-
Discussion about a new library brary remains a place of entertain- L
began back in the 1980s. Wayne and ment, education, and enrichment
Westland shared a library in the that is open to all.”
building at the corner of Wayne Rd. “The library would not be what it
and Sims St. that was actually a is today without the people who use
branch of the Wayne County library. it. Thank you for continuing to use
Both cities had grown, and together and support your library as we navi-
they came to the agreement to split gate our way through these difficult
the collection they shared and build times.”

The Wayne Dispatch · February 2022 · 9