The Oliver Wolcott Library, Inc., is the principal public library of the Town of Litchfield.

Our Mission

To provide facilities, materials, services and programs that foster lifelong learning and a welcoming environment for community interaction, enhanced by staff dedicated to this vision and possessed of compassion, a cooperative spirit and strong communication and interpersonal skills.

Our Core Values

• We creatively communicate and attentively listen to ensure that our services are known and relevant to the needs of the community.

• We are innovative, dynamic risk-takers who embrace new technologies and ideas.

• We select, initiate and promote materials, programs and services that enlighten, entertain, and inform.

• We are a welcoming, friendly place for all members of the community.

• We continuously improve our efficiency and infrastructure by managing our funds and resources wisely and attracting public and private funding.

OWL Highlights

USAGE

                                               Total                % increase        % increase
                                                                       Last year          5 years ago

Visits                                        76,952             9%                   70%

Circulation                                119,654           20%                 65%

Program attendance                  7493                25%                 167%

Website visits                           39,744             81%                 185%

Blog Readers*                          35,275             168%  

New Library Cards issued+        647                  19%                 12%

*blog was started in February of 2007

+represents 3 year comparison 

NEW PROGRAMS AND SERVICES

• Sunday Hours: We now average 135 patrons each Sunday and this number continues to rise.

• Book-a-Librarian: one-on-one computer training classes. Since its inception in September, we have offered 133 sessions.

• Outreach for preschoolers: More than 1750 children served through outreach to area daycare, preschool, and headstart programs.

ENERGY EFFICIENCY

In the last five years, we have:

• Reduced our fuel usage by 68%

• Reduced our electricity usage by 17%

CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

• Circulation per full time employee is the standard measure of library efficiency. This year OWL’s performance was in the top 15% of all Connecticut libraries and is 42% higher than the statewide average.

• Another standard measure of library efficiency is patron visits per full time employee. OWL’s patron visits per employee was in the top 30% of all libraries reporting actuals.

FRIENDS OF THE LIBRARY

• 360 families, businesses, and volunteers participated in the Festival of Trees.

• 536 families and businesses supported our Annual Fund Drive.

• More than 150 families and businesses honored special friends and family through memorial and adopt-a-book donations.