Dogs that listen to stories.
Kindergartners acting out books.
And bilingual events drawing hundreds.
Such was the year in the life of the Keizer Community Library in 2025.
Barbara Miner, president of the local library, shared a look back at the year during a recent presentation to the Keizer City Council.
“We’re rocking and rolling,” said Miner.
The written report to the city showed 12,220 visitors to the library – up 11% from the year before. They checked out 16,775 items, nearly 10% more than the previous year.
The library was founded in 1988 and operates in the Keizer Heritage Center. It gets $30,000 from the city and used that and grants to cover costs for the year of $68,600. That includes some part-time help but the report noted volunteers donated 6,200 hours through the year – the equivalent of roughly three full-time employees.
“We’re very proud of what we did in the community,” Miner said.
The community donated books valued at $30,000. An additional 12,000 books went to Keizer children or to the annual book sale.
Miner noted this year’s book sale with about 6,000 items will be Friday and Saturday, May 15 and 16, the Keizer Event Center. The sale is the same weekend as KeizerFEST.
According to the report, the library installed educational computers used by children for literacy, funded by a grant. The library also began delivering books monthly to preschools.
“Our bilingual outreach program was on steroids,” Miner said.
The library hosted five bilingual community events that drew nearly 500 people.
“Saturday morning Spanish story time has created a community for families with small children, who have become so connected that some choose to celebrate their birthdays in the library,” the report said.
Miner added that kindergartners attending story time wanted to act out some stories. That led to a partnership with Keizer Homegrown Theatre, giving the children a place to take the stage.
“The kindergartners are putting on book plays in Spanish,” Miner said.
Councilor Shaney Starr praised the library’s work, citing the collaboration between the library and the theater “to ignite perhaps a love of theater.”
The library also brings in two dogs on Saturdays, who sit and listen to children read. The dogs, Miner noted, are bilingual.
Miner said a new Friends of Keizer Library is being formed to pursue outside funding to support the library. She said the formation of the nonprofit was “a work in progress.”
She said the community library also plans to apply again to the state to be treated as a public library. That would open up new resources for Keizer.
The group withdrew a similar application a year ago because it didn’t meet the funding standards.
“We are in better shape this year,” Miner said.
Even if the state approves designation as a public library, “We are still going to be in the spirit of a community library,” Miner said.
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