Lisbon’s director Elizabeth Hoover de Galvez presented her view of what a library is at a speech at Lester Buresh Family Community Wellness Center Thursday, Sept. 26.

It may not be the library that Bob had in his community growing up, where peopled checked out books, met up with friends and were strongly encouraged to be quiet to not disrupt other patrons.

Abbie’s description of a place that champions intellectual freedom, promotes and supports lifelong learning and houses a variety of material and resources for its patrons in today’s day and age may be closer to the libraries of today.

“When I think of libraries, I think of librarians, people who want to learn things and resources that are housed in the library’s collection,” Hoover de Galvez said. “Librarians just help people find the right resources they are looking for.”

Hoover de Galvez said one of her own goals as a lifelong learner is to get to be a better cook.

“My husband is able to look around a kitchen with almost nothing in it in my eyes, and be able to find enough to make a meal that will feed a group of people in 30 minutes,” Hoover de Galvez said. “While I’ve gotten better at cooking, I’m still a deer in the headlights when I’m cooking for a group of people.”

Hoover de Galvez said when many people think about libraries, books always come top of mind.

“What people forget is the collection is so much more than just physical copies these days,” Hoover de Galvez said. “There are digital books as well.”

And when it comes to Lisbon Library, she is also especially proud of some of the resources former library director Amy White established, like the Halloween costume library or kits that families can take home and check out.

Other libraries have extended their collections to allow people to borrow things, like board games, tools and other items that people may need.

Hoover de Galvez also recognized six core focus areas Lisbon Library is working to improve.

The number one focus area was on literacy.

Hoover de Galvez said in Iowa, roughly 35 percent of fourth graders are not reading at the correct level.

“That challenges us to what can we do to help kids and families develop better reading skills and habits,” Hoover de Galvez said.

One avenue has been the Dolly Parton Imagination Library program that the Friends of the Lisbon Public Library are running to get young kids in Mount Vernon and Lisbon free books as they grow up.

Story times have also been started for all ages.

Focus area two for the library is on education and lifelong learning.

That’s boasted by the programs the library puts on throughout the year, like the Mexican Cooking classes this summer, the Sauerkraut Making class during Sauerkraut Days and other events at Lisbon’s Heritage Hall.

All these opportunities are offered for free, and Hoover de Galvez hopes people take part in them.

Focus area 3 is digital learning.

That can be helping people learn how to utilize the computers at the library and how best to use that resource.

It also ties in with focus area 4, which is economic success in the community.

Hoover de Galvez said in many communities, applying for jobs is done online, and helping applicants send in an application, work on their cover letter or other resources, that is something librarians are able to do.

Focus area 5 is just being a space where people go, whether that is to browse books or study or do work on their own. Being that space is important in communities.

Focus area 6 is civic and community engagement.

“The library is kind of like the best community-based resource in community,” Hoover de Galvez said.

An attendee asked Hoover de Galvez how the transition went from the Des Moines Public Library to the Lisbon Public Library.

“The amazing thing about stepping into the director’s role here at Lisbon was so many resources in the community already existed,” Hoover de Galvez said. “My last year at the Des Moines Public Library I was advocating for a social work position to help with connecting resources. At Lisbon, we’re right next door to Southeast Linn Community Center, who has many of those resources handled. It has allowed me to focus more on the traditional elements of being a librarian.”

Hoover de Galvez said that there is also work going on for strategic planning for the next five years to see what fits for Lisbon Public Library moving forward in these focus areas and what the community wants to see at the library moving forward.