Over the last year, Warren County Public Library has seen explosive growth in events and program attendance and, well… meeting places and spaces. This incredible progress can be directly attributed to amazing community partners. We live and work in a city and county that embodies the words of Helen Keller: “Alone we can do so little; together we can do so much.”
WCPL operates in two downtown locations: Main Library and The Capitol, in the north end of the county at the Smiths Grove Branch, east at the Bob Kirby Branch and south at Warren County Tennis and Multipurpose Center in Michael Buchanon Park. (The Buchanon location became fully operational late last month and will host weekly children’s programming, monthly specials and a full collection of adult, teen and children’s books and DVDs.) In addition to these larger facilities, WCPL hosts satellite library collections and storytime programming in The Boys and Girls Club, The Foundry, Parker Bennett Curry Community Center and a forthcoming location in the new HOTEL INC building. The first three satellites focus on early childhood, elementary and teen needs; the latter provides a collection, computer lab and adult activities to those near the Boatlanding Road location.
Two special outreach programs exist through partnerships with The Housing Authority and Warren County Schools. WCPL’s Read and Feed mobile library offers books, media, Chromebook use, etc. at Megan’s Mobile Grocery stops. The Leap Bus, a mobile classroom (on a retrofitted school bus), serves apartment complexes with GED and ESL help, as well as early childhood education preparation and school-readiness skills for students and families.
Warren County Parks and Recreation and Bowling Green Parks and Recreation have worked in lockstep with the library to create affordable events, camps and activities for the community. During June and July, WCPL and Warren County Parks and Recreation operated the Thrive program and a free nightly summer camp. Thrive delivers media, movement and mentors to the doorsteps of our city and county neighborhoods. A small team of students and teachers lead storytimes in the park, play with kids in their apartment complexes and create special programs for community summer camps such as Bowling Green Parks and Recreation, city and county summer school, summer literacy academy, migrant program, Community Education, the Housing Authority, Refuge BG and many more. Camps in 2022 included NASA, Harry Potter, Star Wars, STEM, heroes, pirate and Olympic-themed experiences.
WCPL is more than a space or place, more than an entity or location, more than rooms of books. Your library is committed to being YOUR accessible resource for life-giving information, enrichment and entertainment. That mission carries the library out of our spaces and onto the road. In the words of Director Lisa Rice, “If you can have pizza delivered, why not a book or DVD?” Four in-house programs – Door-to-Door, Home Delivery, Educational Delivery, and Your Next Read – service individuals, nursing homes, homebound seniors, schools, preschools and daycares with selection, check-out, delivery and pick-up services. We accept patrons county-wide. Visit warrenpl.org to sign up. WCPL loves our partners and we would love to be your new partner for library services.
-submitted by Warren County Public Library
