The staff of the Mackinaw Area Library in Mackinaw City have noticed programs and services have become more popular as residents tighten their belts in the recession. Pictured (from left) are DeLyle Hill, Susan Godzik, Ruth Liska, and Sarah Allaire. As Mackinaw City residents seek employment and attempt to cut costs in response to the slow economy, the Mackinaw Area Public Library has experienced a surge in interest, library director Sarah Allaire said. Overall circulation has increased by about 30% from last year for the library.

Computer services have become more important, as patrons frequently use them to check their personal e-mail and search for jobs. Some patrons have said they eliminated their Internet services at home to reduce costs since they knew they don't have to pay to access the computers at the library. The library has about 1,700 cardholders. It is staffed by Mrs. Allaire, DeLyle Hill, Mike Pintal, Ruth Liska, and Susan Godzik.

Mr. Hill, a clerk at the library, has noticed an increase in the number of fiction books checked out. Patrons are likely reading more fiction books to relieve the stress caused by the economy, he speculated.

The audio and visual section has been popular, as well. Movies in DVD and video format are checked out frequently. The director believes this is another method patrons are using to save money, as the rentals are free to library card-holders.

The library collection is also changing to better serve the public during the recession. A special "business resource center" section has been created to aid aspiring business owners and help existing ones. Books in the center focus on how to run a successful business, creating a new one, or instructions on how to run specific types of businesses.

Many of the books from that section have been well used, Mrs. Allaire reported. She believes some patrons are resorting to starting their own businesses as job opportunities are sparse.

Updating books for this section, as well as other sections, has been a major focus for the library. State cutbacks in library services have made it difficult for many libraries to do so, but the Mackinaw Area Public Library has special funding from a donor, the late Jack Detzer of Indiana. He visited Mackinaw City when he was a child, and enjoyed the library so much that he named the Mackinaw City Area Library in his trust. About two years ago, the library began receiving funding from the trust to be used for books.

The trust fund has been a tremendous help, assistant director Ruth Liska said. Several years ago, the library was having difficulty meeting payroll, and often money from the book fund was used to compensate. With the trust fund, the old book budget is now used to supply the audiovisual section and general budget.

The trust fund differs each year, with last year providing about $20,000 toward book purchases. The fund is composed mainly of stock, assistant director Mrs. Liska said.

Updates to the newly created business resource center, to medical books, and other sections of the library are mainly owing to Mr. Detzer's gift, Mrs. Allaire said.

The library offers several other services that are popular with patrons, though they are on tight budgets.

The community room of the library is available for public use, and is free to non-profit organizations. The room is typically used by organizations to conduct meetings, Mrs. Allaire said.

Programs conducted during the winter feature authors, local artists, and subjects such as sled dog racing. The speakers often work for the library free.

The summer reading program receives a limited budget as well, Susan Godzik said. Mrs. Godzik handles the cataloging of books, processes them as they arrive, and is responsible for the summer reading program.

The summer reading program has been successful, even when faced with a low budget. About 40 to 50 children attended each program this summer, which featured a puppet show, a visit from dinosaur expert "Paleo Joe," and magician Thomas Plunkard,

In addition to the programs and book updates, improvements to the card catalogue are being made. A physical card catalogue is currently used, and efforts are underway to convert it to a digital format, Mrs. Allaire said.

The Mackinaw Area Public Library is at 528 West Central Avenue. It is open Monday and Tuesday from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., Wednesday from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m., and Thursday through Saturday from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.