Elijah Holt, 10, son of Katie and Nik Holt, of Piqua, left, gets to pie Piqua City Schools Superintendent Dwayne Thompson in the face after his ticket was drawn at the Piqua Public Library’s End of Summer Reading Carnival in August 2023.
Courtesy photo
The “READ” banner that was hung in July 2023 above the stairs down to the Children’s Department at the Piqua Public Library to encourage children to read and features library cards from across the U.S.
Courtesy photo
By Amantha Garpiel
For Miami Valley Today
PIQUA — The Piqua Public Library saw great progress during 2023 with the Summer Reading Club, Local History Department and many of the library’s programs.
In 2023 the Piqua Public Library had its most successful Summer Reading Club in 20 years. With the theme “All Together Now,” the Piqua Public Library’s Children’s Department had over 600 kids and teens register for the Summer Reading Club.
“We are hoping to make 2024 as big if not bigger than 2023,” said Piqua Public Library Director Stephenie Rostron.
Just as Summer Reading ended, the library reopened its Local History Department with a few changes. The Local History Department of the Piqua Public Library contains a wide range of historical information including information on local residents and families, newspaper articles, yearbooks, local business information, house files on most of the homes in Piqua, some genealogy guides and materials, some information of Piqua, Miami County, Miami Valley and different counties in Ohio and much more.
The department closed in the summer of 2023 for reorganization of the department and artifacts. When the department reopened in August it began utilizing closed stacks as a way of preserving the fragile artifacts and documents.
With closed stacks the department’s staff and volunteers can better monitor the condition of the various resources in their collection and maintain their integrity. It also allows the department staff to better serve patrons by requiring appointments. By requiring appointments, the department staff can search for information and prepare as much as possible prior to a patron’s appointment.
Other big successes for the library’s local history department include the various pieces of artwork created by local artists and the displays in the Horace Rollin Gallery.
Yuri Denny and Andy Hite, members of the local history department, worked together to create a display celebrating local veterans including Don Gentile and William Pitsenbarger which is still on display in the Horace Rollin Gallery on the second floor of the library.
Another display the department is proud to share is the display on the Piqua decommissioned reactor that includes various signs, old lights and speakers from the site alongside a diorama and an educational video that were provided by the City of Piqua.
Outside of the Horace Rollin Gallery, patrons can find different pieces of art created by local artists that have been donated to the library for display.
Then, at the end of 2023, the Piqua Public Library changed its hours of operation. The new hours are Monday and Wednesday from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m., Tuesday and Thursday from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m., Friday from 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. and Saturday from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Lastly, the library enjoyed a general increase in the number of programs and the number of program attendees that they hope will continue into 2024.
For information regarding the Piqua Public Library’s programs, events or departments, visit www.piqualibrary.org.
