LIBRARY BIOGRAPHY

Name of Library: Mt. Angel Public Library Address: 290 E. Charles St,  Mt. Angel, OR 97362 Phone: 971-370-5040 Website: mtangelpubliclibrary.com

Mt. Angel Public Library is a small-but-mighty institution serving the 3400 residents of Mt. Angel, Oregon and the communities of our fellow Chemeketa Cooperative Regional Libraries. Print books, audiovisual media, electronic resources, Wi-Fi hotspots, STEM activity kits, musical instruments, desktop computers, and much more are all available to our patrons at no charge. Our four staff members host near-daily community events and programs for all ages, including traditional offerings like book discussion groups and story time for children, as well as less common programs like our fitness classes, 3D design/printing service, and our recent mini-memoir project. Serving as a third space and a community hub is an important part of our mission, but we also bring the library out of our building and into local daycares, educational facilities, and businesses so that we can literally meet patrons where they are. At the Mt. Angel Public Library, we strive every day to create a welcoming space full of useful resources that enrich and improve the lives of patrons of all backgrounds and identities.

CULTURE CONNECTS PROGRAM GOALS

The goals of this project are for our patrons to:
1) Experience poetry as a living and breathing art form that can be used to make beauty of not just the world, but their world. In accordance with our mission to "empower our community to learn, explore, create, and connect," we want more of our patrons to read, write, and participate in this culture of poetry in our local context.
2) Connect with other creators in our community across age ranges by offering a space to meet, discuss, and learn. Additionally, to see their words as part of a greater tapestry of experiences of this beautiful region.
3) Continue the newly-formed annual tradition of creating a book, which will support our vision of a community of lifelong learners and creators making and distributing works of written art in our local context.

LEAD CULTURE CONNECTS PROGRAMMER: Tristin Hess  Outreach and Programming Coordinator