By Joan Cronk
Contibuting writer
At 1 o’clock on a recent Sunday afternoon, as soon as the doors of Pierce County Library System’s Graham branch opened, patrons started to pour in.
The confident staff was all smiles as they greeted the early arrivals, and it was obvious that folks appreciated the friendly and highly qualified staff. Help is always on the way for anyone with a problem or a question at the Graham library.
Adult services librarian Glenn Storbeck, who has a masters degree in librarianship, is a 10-year employee of the library. He said, “I am a public servant, and I love and appreciate my job.”
Storbeck said the Pierce County Library System (PCLS) puts a lot of effort and time into training their employees.
“They make sure people know their business,” he said.
The Graham branch was built in 1992, and on Aug. 26 it will celebrate 25 years of service to the community with an all-day bash throughout the library and on the library grounds.
“You build it and they will come. That’s what happened with the Graham library,” said Georgia Lomax, executive director of PCLS. “The library has been a central community connector since it opened 25 years ago. We’re very happy that we are meeting the many learning and enjoyment needs in Graham. And I thank the community for its outpouring of love and support for their library.”
The 7,152-square-feet building, located at 9202 224th St. E., is jam-packed with materials.
In spring 2007, the Graham library underwent an internal remodel, including Express Check-out and wireless Internet access installations.
The branch has 14 employees and is open seven days a week. It is a full-service library, with books, movies and the ability for patrons to download e-books, films and music, all for free.
It also offers technical support for all its services, and a number of patrons come to the library for help updating their resumes. Many of those folks return to report that the resume assistance they received at the library helped them get a job.
One of the many services offered by the library is a delivery system by volunteers to homebound patrons.
“We want to bring the library to everybody,” said Storbeck, adding that those who are homebound express how grateful they are for the service.
“If you are homebound, we want to get resources to you,” said Storbeck, who teaches free computer classes at the library. The classes are very popular, particularly one on Excel, a Microsoft spreadsheet program.
“It is really critical for any sort of employment. Almost everyone requires it in one form or another,” he said.
Online confidential reviews of classes help the library keep them current and make any needed changes.
Toni Pollock-Bozarth, a senior branch assistant, greets folks as they breeze through the front door.
“I help folks with services, and I really like helping people,” said the 10-year employee.
The Graham branch is a very busy place. Last year, it checked out more than 327,000 books and other items and had more than 16,000 registered cardholders. There are 350,000 cardholders systemwide, according to Getchell.
David Seckman, senior librarian, is excited about the summer reading program the library offers for children.
“It’s a big deal. The first two weeks of the program, we had over 600 kids sign up,” he said.
The students are encouraged to read in 20-minute increments and keep track of their progress in a reading log.
“Once they hit five, 10, 15 minutes, they earn a prize,” said Seckman.
He noted the program is important because it keeps kids engaged with reading.
“Schools talk about the ‘summer slide,’ and this program helps them keep (students) on track,” said Seckman.
More information about children’s events taking place this summer, http://wwwpiercecountylibrary.org/files/library/2017-youth-event.pdf.
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