By By JOHN EBY / Dowagiac Daily News
CASSOPOLIS - People add value to stuff at the library.
That's the essence of new Cass District Library Director Jennifer Ray's first report to the Board of Commissioners.
Ray said she prepared for long-range planning by reading and re-reading the library's mission statement: "The mission of the Cass District Library is to provide a center for information, education, culture and recreation for all patrons throughout their life span, through the library's collection, programs and special services."
Ray said "remote access to the library's collections from your home" is another consideration. "Also, subscriptions Cass District Library pays for for our patrons and subscriptions to databases procured by state library initiatives for all residents of Michigan. We have to do this via an informative, interactive, easy-to-use and constantly maintained Web site (http://cass.lib.mi.us/). Based on trends and statistics we gather, we've developed collection development priorities that do reflect patrons' needs and preferences. Audio book and film collections absolutely must grow. We're going to have to keep abreast of technology somehow with all the format changes. We need to provide wireless Internet access," Ray said. "We definitely cannot, however, forgo public Internet access at the library. We need to make a commitment to that because it's obvious that library is an Internet information equalizer for many residents of our community."