The Community and The Library

Forsyth Public Library was established in 1983 under the Village Library Act.  It is   supported and maintained by the Village of Forsyth for the benefit of village residents who are its primary constituents. The library is governed by a three member Library Commission consisting of the Mayor and two Village Trustees.  The Forsyth Public Library Citizen Advisory Committee consists of six members, appointed by the Mayor, who meet monthly and make recommendations regarding library policies to the Village Trustees. The library staff consists of seven permanent part-time staff members, and a full-time head librarian.  Due to the library’s close geographic proximity to the metro-Decatur area and several bordering public library districts, Forsyth Public Library is frequently used by area patrons who, under the reciprocal borrowing agreement established by the Rolling Prairie Library System, can charge materials on their home library borrower’s cards.  Forsyth residents are also able to borrow from neighboring libraries under that agreement. The library participates extensively in interlibrary loan, including placing “holds” and granting other sevices which are extended to all patrons despite their home library locations. In January 2009, library staff were advised by Rolling Prairie Library System consultants to discontinue extending OCLC interlibrary loans to reciprocal borrowers, and to provide this service to residents only.  Services such as interlibrary loan and online reserves greatly expand the range of materials that can be made available to library patrons, however the responsibility for providing materials to one’s patrons remains largely a local one.

The Village of Forsyth consists of a central corridor of prosperous commercial, retail and professional office development surrounded by residential and agricultural areas. The blend of economies has resulted in a revenue base that enables the village to provide many services and amenities, including an exceptional library.  Most residents enjoy a comfortable standard of living that allows sufficient leisure  time to take advantage of the amenities that the village provides. Though many who live in Forsyth commute to Decatur and other metropolitan areas to work, Forsyth remains a close knit community of families and neighborhoods. The village’s growing population includes a diverse ethnic population, considerable numbers of retirees, and many young families whose children range from preschoolers  to adolescents. It is anticipated that the village will continue to grow with the development of new subdivisions and that the new population will resemble that which is already in place.  The library shares building space with the village maintained public use rooms which enhances its visibility in the community and offers excellent opportunities for cooperative programming and on-site activities.  Along with traditional lending library services and programs, the library offers photocopying, fax, Internet access (including wi-fi) and a coffee bar. 

Thru the 2009-10 school year, the library will continue its long standing tradition of serving as the primary source of library materials for the Maroa-Forsyth Grade School students grades 1-5 whose regular visits have long been an  integral part of the grade school curriculum and an important aspect of public library service in the Forsyth community.  Serving the curricular needs of students and teachers has played a significant role in collection development in the children’s department, and will continue to do so for the duration of class visits. 

The library building, constructed in 1997,  is over 10,000 square feet with an open floor plan.  Adult fiction, picture books and dvds are the most heavily used collections.