Library Director explains how Postville residents can help Library

According to Postville Library Director Crystal Duffy, Postville citizens can do a lot to help the Library. 

Duffy started by saying that memorials can be a great way to donate to the Library and remember a loved one at the same time. She said some people will stipulate that they’d like the Library to buy books about a certain topic in memory of someone, so Duffy will pick books she thinks people will check out, and then the Library will put stickers in the front cover of the books that say the book was donated in memory of that individual.

Duffy said that while people often want to donate their unused books, generally book donations are not helpful, since most of the time the Library already has those books, or they aren’t books people will want to read.

“A lot of times, people will donate books that have been sitting in their garage or attic or basement for years and those are not books anyone is going to check out, so it just gives me something I now have to get rid of,” she said. 

Duffy said that sometimes people will want to buy books for the library, which can be helpful, but that money is better.

“Our money goes further because we’re able to buy books through warehouses for libraries where it’s cheaper. So someone could go buy a hardcover for $30 and give it to us, but if they gave us $30 we could buy two,” she said. 

Duffy said a lot of people want to volunteer, which is appreciated, but that simple things like putting away books only takes a short time each day for Library staff.

“Typically it’s a lot of retired folks who mean well, and they want to help, but there’s really not a lot people who aren’t trained, and don’t have good tech skills, can help with,” she said.

Duffy said they are looking for a part-time bilingual library clerk, to work about 20 hours a week, because they really need someone who speaks English and Spanish. She said they’d also like to have an employee that was able to speak Somali and Ukrainian if they had the budget for it, but an employee that speaks Spanish would help a lot of the Library’s patrons. 

“Our needs are really bilingual folks and people that can help with technology, and so typically, that isn’t someone you’re just going to have volunteer to do that,” she said.

Duffy said another way people can help is simply by using the library and that Library usage has expanded 25 percent in the last year. She said they’ve expanded their variety of genres, so if it’s been awhile since individuals have been to the Library, she encourages them to come in. Duffy also noted that they have magazines and newspapers, and that if they don’t have a book that someone wants to read, they can borrow books from almost every library in the State. 

“Poeple can come in and just hang out too. We’ve got comfy chairs, we’ve got coffee on Thursdays, so if you’re not a reader there are still things at the Library that you could utilize,” she said. 

Duffy said she also wanted to emphasize that if there’s something people really care about, they should attend Postville City Council meetings and share those thoughts with the City Council, not just if they are interested in supporting the Library, but also if they are living in the community.

“I feel like our City Council really cares about our community and makes the best decisions they can, but they’re only five people with their own five unique experiences. They don’t have the perspective of everyone in the community,” Duffy said.

“Really, we should have more people at City Council meetings, because sometimes I’m the only one there. So I think it’s just really important for people to come. It’s also a really great way to learn and stay informed,” she said. 

Duffy continued, “I hear a lot in the community, ‘Oh, I wish the City would do this, I wish the City would do that.’ Three-fourths of the time it’s something the City’s already doing, but people don’t know it because they’re not going to City Council meetings.”

Duffy also wanted to point out that if Postville citizens are not able to go to the meetings, they can watch the meetings live or later at their convenience on the City of Postville’s YouTube channel.