Business at the Vernetta Smith Chehalis Timberland Library was booming in 2024, according to statistics presented by Manager Muriel Wheatley at the Monday Chehalis City Council meeting.
Wheatley, who manages both the Chehalis and Centralia libraries, said Chehalis saw increases “almost across the board,” including in physical checkouts and physical circulating items, an oddity given the transition customers are making to digital literature.
“We did see a minor increase last year, which is a bit unusual because really where we’re seeing that increase happen is in our digital checkouts as people are evolving more to reading on their phones or tablets and listening to audiobooks,” Wheatley said.
The library is also seeing a significant increase in computer sessions and pages printed, as 230,892 pages were printed in 2024. Wheatley said these growths are attributed to homeschooled children and people in court utilizing the library.
Chehalis Timberland Library, located at 400 N. Market Blvd., saw a notable jump in total patrons in 2023 due to the library adding the Napavine School District to its program that gives students library cards to use in school to access educational databases. This increase was not maintained in 2024, Wheatley said.
However, the Centralia and Chehalis branches boosted their programs throughout the 2024 year as well as their patrons served through their programming, with 536 programs, a 25.8% increase since 2023, and serving 11,580 patrons in the community.
The library also hosted 72 events serving 5,174 people in 2024, including monthly visits to assisted living facilities, sponsors at the Chehalis Farmers Market Kids Club, and bringing the W.F. West High School jazz ensemble to perform at the Chehalis library fountain. Other events included the Bob Ross Joy of Painting workshops, an adult Lego club, and Japanese calligraphy.
“We’re trying to do a broad sampling of things for our community,” Wheatley said.
In the Chehalis branch, 904 community members signed up to participate in the summer library program, and Wheatley said she expects an increase in signups this year when the program kicks off June 1. Each participant receives a free book to start, and with every 10 activities completed, they receive a second free book and coupons for businesses in the community, such as entrance into the Southwest Washington Fair, the Centralia Rollerdrome, and Insert Coin. Programs include a visit from the Reptile Lady and a new sub-zero ice cream class where kids can learn to make ice cream with nitrogen, Wheatley said.
To learn more about the Chehalis Timberland Library, visit https://trl.org/locations/chehalis/.
