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Bridgeport Public Library

Our History

History of the Bridgeport Public Library

Our History

The Bridgeport Public Library was established by popular vote in 1980 to serve the residents of Bridgeport Township.  From an opening collection of 2,100 items, the library has grown to over 44,000 books, videos and audio materials.  Although the library initially occupied a room in the Bridgeport Township Government Center, its steady growth and overwhelming community support resulted in the relocation to a separate 7500 square foot facility in 1992.  In 2009, the library was expanded to its current size of 13,050 square feet.  Residents have consistently voted for the library's operational millage, and the library has had a contractual agreement to provide service to residents of Spaulding Township since 1984.

Mission

The Bridgeport Public Library has as it's mission to "provide information, resources and services in an environment that encourages the pursuit of lifelong personal development."  The current strategic plan specifies the goals of ensuring that the library has adequate facilities to meet the needs of the community while providing patrons with the most current electronic resources and technology to complement traditional library materials and services.

Programs

The library directly serves the 12,667 residents of Bridgeport and Spaulding Townships as well as users from adjacent areas.  Many other library users do not hold membership cards, but visit the facility often to take advantage of the library's computers, wi-fi network, fax machine and photocopier.

The library is a community information center whose major function is to make available information for users.  This is most often in the form of books, but can also include video, audio and digital formats.

The library supports literacy by offering traditional story hours and reading programs for children and book discussion groups and informational programs for adults.  The library currently maintains twenty-one computers for public use.  More than 2,700 patrons use this equipment each month for Internet access and in preparing resumes, reports and presentations.  Library staff members also teach weekly computer classes and offer assistance to those who need help in using technology.

The library also provides meeting rooms for local organizations such as scout troops, stock groups and neighborhood associations.