Misty Von Behren, director of the Perry Public Library, gave an informative talk to the Perry Lions Club this week about the services and programs that are offered by the Perry Public Library.
Von Behren began working at the Perry library when she was in high school and was hired as the director in 2023.
She started her talk by explaining the saying, “Libraries Aren’t Free,” which means they derive their funding from local, state and federal governments. In the case of the Perry Public Library, it also receives grants from groups such as the Weise and Bock Family Foundations.
The Weise Building, which houses part of the Perry Public Library, was built in 1994 with funding from the Weise Foundation and private donations. No tax dollars were used in the building’s construction.
Von Behren described the work of the Friends of the Library, a local group active in raising funds to assist with special library programs, such as the annual Kids Fest, which will be held this year on Saturday, June 7. Numerous other groups also help with this popular program.
Some of the services Von Behren spoke about included the Inter-Library Loan program. A library patron can borrow a book from any of Iowa’s 544 public libraries for free. There is also the E-book program that allows electronic books to be used for two weeks.
Besides offering books, the library helps distribute recovered food that is available to everyone. She said usable produce is delivered three times a week. This food is still good, but the grocery stores will not sell it.
She said budget cuts by the state and federal governments might cause the reduction of some services and the elimination of some programs that the library has offered in the past.
Von Behren said there are also books clubs that use the library. The Quarterly Classics Book Club, led by retired librarian Jill Cook, reads four books each year, while the Monthly Book Club reads selective current titles. A third group is called the Any Book Club.
The members of the Lions Club found her program interesting and very informative.
Also attending the meeting and addressing the club was Lion Kristin Glockhoff, the Zone Chairperson of the nearby Lions Clubs. She spoke to the Perry club and encouraged them to attend a Zone Meeting in Adel, which will discuss expansion of the Kids Sight program and the possibility of taking on another major service project requested by the International Lions Clubs.
Ray Harden is the secretary of the Perry Lions Club.
