Orwell organizations and municipal departments write a report of the completed year. Continue reading to find out what we are celebrating.
In 2025, we celebrated the many collaborations that make OFL a vital and active community resource. Partnering with a Vermont Master Gardener and Orwell Village School we supported the Orwell Community Learning Garden, a place for local growers to learn and volunteer. Vermont Humanities Council buoyed our early literacy programs with financial support and staff training. Let’s Go Fishing program volunteers brought well attended fly tying and ice fishing classes to our residents. In collaboration with the Platt Memorial Library, we again offered our Keynote Speakers Series which brought a year of quality presentations to our villages. Local musicians have a place to gather and play at OFL because of a dedicated acoustic jam leader. Our space is used by Slate Valley School District staff and other community groups to connect with local residents. And finally, we connected OVS students with Orwell Historical Museum for a 6 week History Club. This list is not exhaustive and we are always looking for new ideas. Stop by and share your talents.
Collection use continues to grow. Digital item borrows rose by over 1000. Within our physical collection, adult fiction use went up by 10%. In 2025 we added an additional digital library and now offer 4 resources to borrow ebooks, audiobooks, movies, tv series, documentaries, and music. These apps and websites are now a fundamental and dynamic part of our operations, and we will continue to respond to use as our budget allows.
Library stakeholders continue to work with a local architect to plan for the future, finding ways to improve accessibility, restore the front door and windows, and reconfigure the space to meet the needs of the community.
OFL thanks the Wright Memorial Library Board for their efforts to maintain and improve the building and for working collaboratively with us.
At the library, we offer:
- free 24/7 WIFI.
- public computers.
- computer, device, and internet help.
- a community meeting place.
- a public gallery.
- online eBooks, audiobooks, movies.
- a place to donate used books
- VR and 3D printing.
- a “Library of Things” including art kits and supplies, an egg incubator, wood moisture reader, projector & screen, podcasting mic, and more.
- passes to local attractions like ECHO, VINS & Mt. Independence.
- quiet & comfortable work space.
- over 9,000 lendable books.
2025 Circulation and Usage
Borrowed items: 5466 books, 2729 eBooks & audiobooks,
355 kits & things, interlibrary loans 162 sent, 262 received
7199 library visits, 255 programs offered, 2821 program attendees,
715 items added to the collection, 42 new patrons, 460 volunteer hours logged
Respectfully,
Kate Hunter, Librarian