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Highlands Today

Libraries To Add Hours To Serve More Patrons

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By PALLAVI AGARWAL

Highlands Today

Published: September 23, 2008

SEBRING - Every time somebody walks through Highlands County's three public libraries, a "people counter" keeps tab on the numbers.

This July, typically a slow time, the counter had been as busy as January and February, the middle of the snowbird season and the busiest for local libraries.

Maybe it's the economy, gas prices, people making fewer out-of-town trips or all of these, but the county's libraries are seeing a whole lot more people these days.

"It means we are busy," said Mary Myers, the county's library services director. She oversees the Sebring, Lake Placid and Avon Park libraries.

What it also meant for the county library system, which does not have enough people to go around, was a need to adjust its hours to serve more patrons and be open more in the evenings.

Staring Oct. 21, the three county libraries will be open three more hours each week and later in the day on certain days to service those who work and cannot make it before 5:30 p.m.

The new hours on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday will be from 9:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. On Fridays and Saturdays, they will be open from 9:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.

It means that along with Sundays, the libraries will be closed Mondays.

Other local places offering recreation are getting a boost, as well.

The Children's Museum of the Highlands saw its walk-in traffic go up this summer.

Overall, museum attendance has gone up 15 percent from Sept. 1, 2007 through Sept. 1, 2008, compared to the previous year.

"We're telling ourselves, 'Wow! OK! Where are these people coming from?'" Crowder said with a laugh.

To meet the demand, the museum is considering hiring a second full-time person to help out.

On the flip side, its fundraising for a proposed expansion has slowed down as the economy sours, even though the project cost has been pared down considerably.

As the downtown attraction gets busier, the urgency to expand increases, Crowder said.

"We have to think that it is going to get busier," Crowder said. "But we have not given up."

The YMCA of Highlands County has also been seeing strong enrollment in its youth sports programs, also because parents are becoming more aware of childhood obesity and don't want their kids laying around the couch watching TV, said Amanda Westberry, the Y's front desk attendance.

Recently, the Y introduced "Fridays, Fun & Fit," to cater to children from ages 8 to 12 who are Y members. The Friday sessions have been mostly booked, and other activities like gym class, which has started back up after the completion of the Y's recent renovation, been drawing kids, Westberry added.

Not all places are necessarily seeing more users.

Kegel Bowling Center has not seen an increase in bowlers but their numbers are "pretty healthy," said Sue Merritt, general manager.

Their frequent bowlers are the ones who are used to the game and are used to playing at Kegel, she said.

At Highlands Hammock State Park, this summer seemed a little busier than usual although Parks Specialist Dorothy Harris couldn't say that with certainty. She has, however, seen more campers focus on the Central Florida area to cut down travel time.

From June 2007 to July 2008, the park had 206,000 visitors. That's been the average visitor count the last few years, Harris explained.

Over the years, the park has added events as its busy season grew.

At one point, January, February and March were the busy months. Then November and April got hectic, too. Now, the event schedule starts earlier and ends later.

"It's now from October to middle of May," Harris added.

Pallavi Agarwal can be reached by email pagarwal@highlandstoday.com or by phone at 863-386-5831

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