Cromaine Library – Know Before You Go!

May 18, 2021

The Cromaine Library has a rich history of serving the Hartland Community since 1926. Hartland schools provided the land that holds the library, and Mr. J. Robert Crouse, a Hartland native, donated 1,225 books to begin the library’s collection. Crouse presented the library with autographed letters and photographs of great leaders like Queen Victoria, Napoleon, Alexander Hamilton, and Abraham Lincoln. These letters and photographs are now housed at Bentley Historical Library at The University of Michigan for safekeeping and preservation.

The Cromaine Library is still heavily involved in the Hartland community today. To learn more about the current services and events offered at The Cromaine Library, we spoke to community relations manager, Pamela Holtz.

The Cromaine Library hosts an average of 740 events per year! Which events stand out as your personal favorites?

Our Polar Express event continues to be both a patron and staff favorite. We love the collaboration with our community partners to bring the magic of the season right to our village! Summer Reading season, including our tremendously popular Summer Concert Series is also a favorite as well. Each week is packed with programs for every age. Story times, book clubs, yoga, cooking programs, and so much more — there’s truly something for everyone.

 

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Which event draws the largest crowd annually?

Our Summer Concert Series tends to draw the highest crowd in numbers. We bring amazing musicians to our South Lawn from all different genres. Our attendance numbers have been known to go above 200 people for these events, but there is plenty of space to spread out and enjoy the show! Visit the South Lawn this summer on Tuesday nights from 7:00 p.m. – 8:30 p.m. to enjoy live music and great company. Click here to see the calendar of events at The Cromaine Library.

 

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How has the COVID-19 pandemic affected a large number of events at The Cromaine Library? Are virtual events successful?

Yes, the pandemic certainly affected the number of events at Cromaine on the initial onset — but we have a wonderful, innovative staff that took the time in quarantine to create new ways to reach our patrons. Our virtual events, especially the events for adult patrons, have been wildly successful for a multitude of reasons. We’ve been able to bring in presenters from everywhere from California to Paris, which has obviously been a major draw! Furthermore, there were many people who were not able to come to in-person programs for a variety of reasons even before the pandemic, and the option of virtual programming has been warmly received.

We’ve found that young children and teenagers were not as receptive to virtual programs, so we provide a variety of take-home kits to keep them engaged, creating, and reading!

 

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What events can we look forward to at Cromaine Library this upcoming summer?

We are so thrilled to be offering both virtual and in-person events this summer! Our summer reading theme for this year is “Tails and Tales”, which lends itself to a great variety of programming. Check out our online calendar for a month-to-month breakdown of events for every age. We’re also excited to host six nights of live music on our lawn as well, which are all free and open to the public. The summer concert series is available to visitors as well. A Cromaine Library card is not necessary to access these events!

 

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Are there any lesser-known services Cromaine Library offers that more people should know about? What is the most popular service provided?

Did you know that we have items like snowshoes, fishing poles, and Bocce Ball available for check-out? SportPort is equipment sharing for all, and it brings the opportunity to borrow sports equipment of all kinds — from basketballs and soccer balls to sleds and yard Yahtzee — for free play and sports sampling with your library card! (Sponsored by SportPort, an initiative of Project Play: Southeast Michigan, in partnership with the Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. Foundation and Community Foundation for Southeast Michigan.) All you need to do is visit www.cromaine.org and search “sport port” in our catalog to see all of the great items available!

We also have WiFi hotspots available, which have been a valuable resource to members of our community who do not have access to the internet. These have been incredibly popular in the last year due to the major increase in virtual work and school obligations. We are so glad that we are able to offer this to our patrons and provide assistance in this challenging year.

Lastly, we have an impressive collection available for check-out in our Library of Things! We have a diagnostic code reader for your vehicle, a Happy Light, a ukulele, and even a ghost hunting kit! Search “Library of Things” in our catalog to see these items and more.

 

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Which age group frequents The Cromaine Library most often?

This is a tough question to answer because it truly depends on the time of day! Early in the day, we typically see more senior citizens and families with young children. Later in the afternoon, and into the evening, we’ll see many teenagers and adults. Our virtual services have extended our library beyond the building, and we are thrilled to assist our patrons in that way as well.

 

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The Cromaine Library’s centennial anniversary is approaching within the next few years. Congratulations! Are there any special plans, events, or celebrations in the works?

It’s certainly been a point of exciting conversation here at the library! We are absolutely planning many special events and celebrations, but we will keep the details quiet until we are a bit closer to the date. Stay tuned!

 

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In what ways can Livingston County community members support The Cromaine Library?

The best way to support The Cromaine Library is to visit us — virtually or in person! We’re here to help the community in as many ways as possible, so we’re always open to feedback on how to improve programs, virtual services, or our collections. Stop by the library and chat with us!

Know Before You Go