POST FALLS — The Community Library Network at Post Falls saw a 12% increase in visitor use last year, with 27,000 more people visiting its location at 821 N. Spokane St. for a total of 229,000 visits.

“We average 19,000 visitors a month,” Post Falls Librarian Jennifer Craft said. “Use is fairly steady. We see more adults and after-school kids in winter. In the summer, we steadily see kids all day.”

In 2019, the library circulated 420,000 items.

“One thing that I’ve noticed in the three years I've been here, the Post Falls Library continually bucks the national trend,” Craft said. “We’ve continued to increase in circulation while nationwide circulation is down. We had a modest increase, only 2%, but it was still an increase.”

Nationwide, public libraries have seen a downward trend in circulation, more than 11% since 2012, according to the 2017 Public Library Data Service report. In that same five years, though, program attendance increased nearly 17%.

Post Falls Library’s adult program attendance increased by 28% in 2019. The library doubled its adult program offerings, hosting nearly 200 programs including a twice monthly bluegrass jam, author lectures, support groups, garden clubs, finance classes, and small business group meetings.

More than 400 people came just for the annual all ages harvest fair. Last summer, 19 teenagers consistently came to a teen writing workshop, tripling the previous summer’s attendance.

Youth services librarians host teen programs in Wilma’s Realm, a 1,200-square-foot teen center within the library, featuring windows on all sides. Wilma’s Realm opened in March 2019.

"We get between 50 and 70 middle and high school students here during the weekdays from 2:45 to 7 p.m.," said Denise Neujahr, the Community Library Network's young adult librarian. "This is their place to be, so we needed a space inside for them. We want to have a safe place and provide activities for them."

Longtime library user Wilma Beauchot donated $47,900 in her will to the teen center project. Local businesses also helped fund the space. Teens had a craft fair and raised $600.

“I credit a large part of increased teen use to the creation of that space,” Craft said. “We have a lot more organized programming going on in that room.”

The library staff studies community demographics and takes the time to find out what community members want from their library. They constantly ask how the library can increase or change programs to meet community needs.

While the library regularly sees patrons moving in from other states, increased circulation, visitor use, and program participation doesn’t just come from population growth.

“I can hardly stress enough just how good the staff here is at being creative and challenging themselves to try new things,” Craft said. “They aren’t afraid to eliminate things that aren't working. It requires being daring and creative to come up with new ideas.”