Thursday, September 22, 2011

At the Heart of its Community: Wisconsin Rapids' McMillan Memorial Library

Timely reminder about this excellent article from 2009.

McMillan Library a community meeting place.  (Wisconsin Rapids Tribune, 9/22/2011)

Excerpt:   The McMillan Memorial Library is an agency of the city of Wisconsin Rapids, but it has a Library Board that oversees the operation and how the library spends its money, McCabe said. It also has a contract with Wood County to provide services to rural residents, McCabe said.

The library is the community's living room,
Wisconsin Rapids Mayor Mary Jo Carson said.

"I can't tell you the value it brings to our community," she said. "Many people consider the library the heart of the community, and that's a good explanation of what the library is."
  [Emphasis added.]

The McMillan Memorial Library has a coffeeshop, which means people can get a cup of coffee, then grab a newspaper or go online while they relax. Carson said she walks into the library and there are people sitting around, relaxing and enjoying the things it has to offer. It's a social gathering place, she said
.

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