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The Altoona Area Public Library identifies its mission as striving to provide friendly, interactive, informative and dynamic patron experiences.
Over the past half-century, as a leader in the community, it has been very successful in meeting and exceeding those mission objectives, as well as the daily individual expectations of patrons young and old.
It consistently lives up to its vision statement centering on "engaging and connecting generations through responsive programing, innovative partnerships and progressive services."
Its resources include more than 125,000 books, 40,000-plus e-books, 6,000 audio books, 4,000-plus DVDs, 130 popular magazines and newspapers, and more than 100 Pennsylvania digitized newspapers.
It is the biggest limb of the body of eight public libraries making up the superb Blair County Library System, which every day proves that traditional brick-and-mortar libraries still hold their place as important components of forward-moving communities.
The Blair County Library System includes Altoona and neighboring communities Hollidaysburg, Bellwood-Antis, Tyrone, Roaring Spring, Martinsburg, Williamsburg and Claysburg.
Despite all of that, 2021 has been far from the best of years for Altoona's library.
That is one reason why the Blair County Library System has been chosen recipient of the Mirror's 17th annual Season of Sharing fundraising campaign, following the successful 2020 campaign that raised $60,125 for the Altoona Food Bank.
While 2021 provided many challenges for the Altoona library, it has also proven to be a remarkable year for the great community resource based on the services it was able to continue providing despite the adversity.
For people who might not have heard about the library's misfortune, the library suffered extensive water damage last Dec. 14 when a water main burst while a contractor was excavating a trench for new piping.
The water gushing from the broken water main flooded the library's lower level and electrical room and knocked out power.
The entire library building was closed for months, but what was amazing was that the library's virtual services were able to remain up and running, meeting patrons' needs.
The determination that the library has demonstrated since last December's terrible setback is the kind of determination on which the Season of Sharing effort is built each year.
Since its inception in 2005, the Mirror's Season of Sharing program has raised $307,500 to deserving entities.
As in previous campaigns, funds raised will be administered by the Central Pennsylvania Community Foundation, which will be paid a small fee by the Mirror to oversee whatever money is received.
Contributions will be tax-deductible, and a donation form as well as an envelope are included with this weekend's Mirror.
A community is only as good as its ability to respond to challenges and adversity.
Those who made possible Altoona's first library, the Mechanics' Library and Reading Room Association, established under the supervision of the Pennsylvania Railroad more than 150 years ago for its workers, would be proud of what evolved from that humble beginning.
They would also be proud that each community in Blair County continues to be served by its own local library -- something we hope never changes.