By Becky BrowerThe question of who selects the books that the Syracuse Public Library purchases is not hard. It is everyone. That is everyone who uses the library. The library responds to requests for titles and tracks the authors who get regular and frequent checkouts. Books are ordered and processed monthly. As part of the Libby Indiana Digital consortium we purchase books that we think interest our patrons or ones that they request. As a result, there is a wide selection of titles for readers to choose from. An example of the way the Syracuse Public Library selects materials can be found with the 2012 novel, Fifty Shades of Grey. Keep in mind that there are somewhere between 600,000 and a million books published in the U.S. each year. Immediately, after the book’s debut, we got requests, purchased a copy, and people who had not been in the library before got a library card just to read the book. The book wore out several times, and at one point, there were enough holds that we had two copies. Had any of us at the library been able to predict that Fifty Shades of Grey -- a book full of misspellings, grammatical errors, incomplete sentences, and a weird story line -- would become a best-selling book, they could have quit their job and moved to New York, where they would make millions of dollars. Books on the library shelves are selected with a system that is responsive to community needs and a broad social standard. Believe it or not, but most of the books that are offered are not read cover-to-cover by the library staff. Becky BrowerBecky Brower, SPL's adult services librarian, is a lifelong learning specialist for adults. Please share any program ideas with her that you would be interested in attending, and she will try to make them happen.
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By Katie MoranWhen I was a kid, we would walk down to the local Carnegie library once a week. We would wander the stacks of books and wheel a wagon full of them back home. We would take part in Summer Reading Program every summer (which consisted of tracking books and programs in the library's basement). I have some very fond memories of doing so. Looking back, however, I think about how a library now would have helped our family that much more. Now the libraries do programs throughout the year, and not just during the summer. My mom taught us through elementary school, and we would have loved a homeschool program at the local library. We didn’t come from much money and relied on the resources around us. The fact that our library now provides free Internet access is amazing for families who need it. The library has changed since I was a child, and even more so in the past couple of years with the pandemic and changing world. The needs of our community changes with time and the library works hard to meet those needs. Part of that change is recognizing not everyone can come to our library, especially during our open hours. Four years ago, I learned there were several of our patrons who couldn’t make it into our library for a variety of reasons. I spoke with Kim, our director, and she agreed that starting a homebound program was needed for our library. The number of patrons using this program has varied throughout the years, but we’ve been able to deliver books, audiobooks, movies, etc. to patrons consistently. They must live within Turkey Creek Township, have a specific reason they can’t come to the library, and be willing to be flexible with the person making the deliveries. We have a system in place where patrons can either choose their own materials or have one of us at the library choose the materials for them. There are deliveries every two weeks to their homes to give them materials. Everyone in this township is paying taxes toward this library so it makes sense to provide service to everyone we feasibly can. That ties into my other outreach idea. This idea came about after the pandemic when we were still occasionally being asked about curbside pickup but also hearing comments about our open hours. People in the community were busy, working, out of town, etc. during our open hours. A director of a library in southern Indiana gave a talk on pickup lockers. I fell in love with the idea for our community, and, thankfully, our director did as well. Once again, I was able to ask about the program, and she gave the green light. After almost a year of back orders and other delays, the curbside pickup lockers were installed. These can be used by any of our patrons regardless of if they are sick, busy, etc. Anyone can call asking for a book from our library (or if they’ve had a hold from another library come in), and we will place it in a locker for them. We say which locker is yours and the combination on the lock is always the last four digits of the library card. This is another way in which the library has changed/added its services to, hopefully, better serve our community. Katie MoranKatie is the Syracuse-Turkey Creek Township Public Library's assistant director. She catalogs and helps choose adult new materials, all while being the go-to person for help with all technology problems at the library (patrons and library workers, alike). 
During National Library Week, the American Library Association released its State of America's Libraries Special Report: Pandemic Year Two. This report highlighted the continual effect of the pandemic on libraries as well increase efforts to censor materials. Included in the Special Report is the popular Top 10 Most Challenged Books of 2021. The American Library Association tracked 729 challenges to library, school, and university materials and services in 2021. Of the 1,597 individual books that were challenged or banned in 2021, here are the top 10 most challenged: No. 1: 'Gender Queer' by Maia KobabeREASONS: Banned, challenged, and restricted for LGBTQIA+ content and because it was considered to have sexually explicit images. (Click here to find it on Evergreen) No. 2: 'Lawn Boy' by Jonathan EvisonREASONS: Banned and challenged for LGBTQIA+ content and because it was considered to be sexually explicit. (Click here to find it on Evergreen) No. 3: 'All Boys Aren't Blue' by George M. JohnsonREASONS: Banned and challenged for LGBTQIA+ content, profanity, and because it was considered to be sexually explicit. (Click here to find it on Evergreen) No. 4: 'Out of Darkness' by Ashley Hope PerezREASONS: Banned, challenged, and restricted for depictions of abuse and because it was considered to be sexually explicit. (Click here to find it on Evergreen) No. 5: 'The Hate U Give' by Angie ThomasREASONS: Banned and challenged for profanity, violence, and it was thought to promote an antipolice message and indoctrination of a social agenda. (Click here to find it on Evergreen) No. 6: 'The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian' by Sherman AlexieREASONS: Banned and challenged for profanity, sexual references, and use of a derogatory term. (Click here to find it on Evergreen) No. 7: 'Me and Earl and the Dying Girl' by Jesse AndrewsREASONS: Banned and challenged because it was considered sexually explicit and degrading to women. (Click here to find it on Evergreen) No. 8: 'The Bluest Eye' by Toni MorrisonREASONS: Banned and challenged because it depicts child sexual abuse and was considered sexually explicit. (Click here to find it on Evergreen) No. 9: 'This Book is Gay' by Juno DawsonREASONS: Banned, challenged, relocated, and restricted for providing sexual education and LGBTQIA+ content. (Click here to find it on Evergreen) No. 10: 'Beyond Magenta' by Susan KuklinREASONS: Banned and challenged for LGBTQIA+ content and because it was considered to be sexually explicit. (Click here to find it on Evergreen)
 This week, the Syracuse-Turkey Creek Township Public Library encourages all community members to visit their library in person or online to explore and access services and programs. Syracuse Public Library offers a wide array of programs, classes and resources for all ages. April 3-9, 2022, is National Library Week, a time to highlight the essential role libraries, librarians and library workers play in transforming lives and strengthening communities. The theme for this year’s National Library Week is “Connect with Your Library,” which promotes the idea that libraries are places to get connected to technology by using broadband, computers and other resources. Libraries also offer opportunities to connect with media, programs, ideas and classes, in addition to books. Most importantly, libraries also connect communities to each other. Libraries of all types continue to go above and beyond to keep their communities connected by expanding resources and embracing inclusion in their programming, resources and collections. Libraries across the country are making a difference in people’s lives by providing electronic learning resources like online homework help and Wi-Fi access for students and workers who may lack internet access at home. Syracuse Public Library is supporting the community with services such as Homeschool Programs, free Wi-Fi, public computers, hotspot checkouts, a notary, storytimes, arts & crafts programs, and so much more. This National Library Week, the public can show their appreciation and support for libraries by visiting their library in person or online, following them on social media and using the hashtag #NationalLibraryWeek. First sponsored in 1958, National Library Week is a national observance sponsored by the American Library Association and libraries of all types across the country each April. For more information, visit the library’s website at www.syracuse.lib.in.us.
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