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Patrons of the Allen County Public Library system younger than 18 who owe money for fines or fees will have their debt wiped clean beginning Thursday. .
Mike Moore | The Journal Gazette
Susan Baier, the new director of the Allen County Public Library, sees herself as a connector. Previous Next
Saturday, March 13, 2021 1:00 am People s palace has leader
Baier on job as director of Allen County library system
ROSA SALTER RODRIGUEZ | The Journal Gazette
Susan Baier jokes that taking the Allen County Public Library s top job gives her “the Lincoln trifecta.”
Baier grew up in Illinois, the jumping off point for the political career that launched Abraham Lincoln to the presidency. She went to library school and directed a public library system in Kentucky, where Lincoln grew up.
Library use drops 30% amid COVID
ACPL 2020 report cites reduced hours; digital demand rises
ROSA SALTER RODRIGUEZ | The Journal Gazette
The Allen County Public Library saw COVID-19-related declines in usage averaging 30% in several key areas, partly because of closures and limits on hours, the system s preliminary annual report for 2020 says.
The pandemic closed the main library in downtown Fort Wayne for nine weeks and limited occupancy for 11 weeks, the report found. The branches spent 11 to 15 weeks closed and five to nine weeks with limited hours, depending on the location.
The closures amounted to about 25% of the system s normal service hours. The declines came in circulation, wireless internet usage, computer reservations and visits, the report says.
Editorial
New director can appreciate our love of libraries
An open letter to Susan Baier, director of McCracken County Public Library in Paducah, Kentucky:
Congratulations on your appointment as executive director of the Allen County Public Library. We look forward to welcoming you to Fort Wayne in the weeks ahead.
As passionate supporters of our library, we are eager to hear what ideas you will bring to improve our facility. We know your experience in Kentucky, along with experience as an administrator with the Los Angeles County Public Library, make you a well-qualified director for our library system, which serves a diverse population, including downtown business owners; inner-city residents at the Little Turtle branch; and Amish readers in Grabill.