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Dear Community, Our heartfelt thanks to everyone who participated in our Strategic Planning Survey sent out earlier in May. We received nearly 2,200 responses and are now able to incorporate your feedback into our new plan. While there were many subjects covered in the survey, there were two substantial pieces of feedback that really stood out. The first is that staff friendliness and helpfulness rate extremely high, with a score of 4.8 out of 5. Quality customer service is always our highest priority and I’m proud to see such a high score in this area. The second biggest piece of feedback in the survey was that the wait time for digital materials does not meet the expectations and needs of our users. While this wasn’t surprising, it’s helpful to have some metrics when discussing this with vendors, stakeholders, and patrons. In fact, this timely metric came just as five major public library organizations in the US and Canada released a statement calling for a change in pricing models available to libraries for digital content. If this is a subject you are curious about, I recommend that you read the letter, as it provides some meaningful examples of the need for consumer protection legislation in this area. One thing the letter mentions is that many libraries spend over 50% of their collections budgets on digital materials. This is true for our library, as well. It is not a lack of funding that has resulted in this challenging situation; it is pricing models from the Big Five publishers along with digital library platform providers. It will take everyone - libraries, publishers, and digital platforms - to find sustainable solutions and put them into practice. That said, [Read more]

Dear Community,First and foremost: Happy National Library Week! Technically, National Library Week isn’t until April 19-25, but it’s close enough for me. This year’s theme is “Find Your Joy,” encouraging all of you to discover something that brings you joy at the library.I’m also glad to share that we are working on our next strategic plan. Our previous strategic plan ended in 2021; however, we didn’t feel it was the right time to update the plan given the state of operations and community needs. Since then, we’ve been busy managing facility improvements, migrating to a new computer system and online catalog, creating a sustainable home delivery service, and much more.Now is the perfect time to take a fresh look at where we’ve been, what our community needs, and how the library can grow to meet those needs. As we develop our five-year strategic plan, your voice is a crucial part of that work. Later in April, you’ll receive an email with a community survey, asking for your feedback. This survey will ask about the library services you value, and about your thoughts and ideas for the future of the library.Whether you visit us often or occasionally, your perspective helps us understand how our services, spaces, and resources can better support you. Your participation will ensure the plan we create reflects the real needs and aspirations of the people we serve, and will help us remain a responsive, welcoming library for everyone.As always, thank you for your patronage and support. It is an honor to serve as your Library Director!Best,Ashlee Return to all Library Director's Letters

Dear Community, The new year often marks a time of change. This month, we are managing a major transition prompted by the sudden closure of Baker & Taylor, which was the primary wholesale book supplier for public libraries nationwide. Like many other public libraries, we relied heavily on Baker & Taylor (B&T) to source materials. Not only were they our go-to vendor, but the materials we purchased came to us “shelf-ready.” That means they arrived with a catalog record already in the system, and with processing details already completed, such as mylar book jackets, barcodes, spine labels, property stamps, and more. The good news is, we have always used multiple vendors to make our materials orders, as an intentional decision to never rely solely on B&T. This means our transition period away from B&T was not nearly as challenging as it was for some other libraries. Because we already had accounts set up with multiple vendors, we quickly shifted the bulk of our ordering to them. B&T’s shutdown occurred in October and I’m hopeful that you haven’t noticed much of a delay in receiving your library items lately. However, we are still working through details that can cause slowdowns for new items before they hit the shelves. For example, most items are not as "shelf-ready" as they used to be, though we're hoping our current vendors can meet our preferred standards over the next few months. On top of that, vendors are now scaling up their own infrastructure to handle the incredible surge of new customers. The landscape is still changing and like all public libraries, we’re along for the ride. Thankfully, we’re in a good position to handle these new circumstances, and I’m optimistic [Read more]

Dear Community, As I write this newsletter to you, I’m also working on a presentation that highlights a few of our library projects that have been accomplished over the last year. There is something so motivating and inspiring about looking back over a year’s worth of work, and acknowledging how much has been accomplished in a relatively short period of time. That list becomes even more incredible when you factor in the efforts of the many supportive non-profit organizations that partner with our library system. Since November 2024, we’ve all been very busy! Here’s just a sampling of our hard work. We have: Finished a major re-carpeting and collection reorganization project at the Corvallis Library Completed a feasibility expansion study for the Philomath Library Installed new HVAC units and updated exterior painting at the Alsea Library Completed a building ownership transfer at the Monroe Library and addressed deferred maintenance needs Installed new furniture at our Corvallis and Philomath locations Grew participation in our Summer Reading Program Hosted over 1,300 programs for our communities We are especially grateful for our supportive donors and volunteers, along with our valued non-profit partners and library building owners, including the Friends and Foundation of the Library, the City of Corvallis and the City of Philomath, South Benton Community Enhancement Association, and Alsea Community Effort. Each and every partner is important in helping us achieve our mission and goals. We have more exciting improvements and projects for you on the horizon. I hope you continue to find what you need and more at our libraries. As always, thank you for your support and patronage! Best, Ashlee Return to all Library Director's Letters

Dear Community, I’ve done several presentations in the last few years about banned books, censorship, and intellectual freedom. These topics remain more important than ever as we continue to see incredible numbers of censorships attempts across the country. The American Library Association and Banned Books Week Coalition organize an annual Banned Books Week, which takes place this year during October 5-11, 2025. The theme this year is “Censorship Is So 1984. Read for Your Rights.” Our public libraries have many roles filling gaps in support services to our community. We act as safe spaces and third places. We provide access to information without restriction. We supplement lifelong education and support our schools, colleges, and homeschooling communities. We defend your right to read and your right to privacy. And as the Library Bill of Rights states, “Libraries should challenge censorship in the fulfillment of their responsibility to provide information and enlightenment.” I’m frequently asked about the best way to support libraries. I like to keep the answer simple: Use your library. Visit our facilities, check out materials, download digital books and audiobooks, use our databases for research, attend an event, ask our staff for help. Tell your friends and neighbors about our services and provide us feedback when you think we could improve. Why does that matter? Because regardless of how you use your library—delivery, digital only, a space to hang out and study, a room for a birthday party—it proves that libraries are important for our communities. That data and support is our best tool when advocating for libraries. May I suggest, if you’re feeling curious and courageous this month, try checking out a banned book. You might be surprised by the powerful words [Read more]

Dear Community, I hope you’ve been enjoying our Summer Reading events and activities over the past two months. There has certainly been no shortage of creative, fun, and unique programs this summer! That's the goal we work to achieve every summer, but this year we've had a little extra help that's new to us. Thanks to a Teen Internship Grant from the State Library of Oregon, two amazing teen interns are working at our Library this summer. Their projects include working with a cohort of library teen interns across the state, working on a connected learning project, and receiving mentorship from our Teen Services Librarian. It's been a wonderful project and a real joy to work with local students who have a passion and interest in public libraries and serving the community. I'm also happy to share details about an upcoming event created by our interns, Love My Library Day. It takes place on Saturday, August 16 from 1-2:30pm, in the Corvallis Public Library's Main Meeting Room. There, you'll have the opportunity to write a letter, an email, or call your representatives to advocate for library funding across the country. Enjoy snacks, a photo booth, and learn more about why libraries are so important at this fun event perfect for the whole family. Whether or not you can attend, I hope you find time to visit us this summer: for an in-person event, browsing for books, or making use of our digital library of downloadable items. Lastly, as our days get warmer, don't forget that all of our library locations are cooling centers, here to provide you with a break from the heat when you need it. Best, Ashlee Return to all Library [Read more]

Dear Community, The month of June marks the start of our Summer Reading program and Pride Month, meaning we have an absolutely jam-packed month of programming ready for you to enjoy. With 85+ events across our four locations and outreach across our communities, these programs will spark joy, encourage curiosity, or provide helpful support and resources across our county. In case you're wondering why the library puts so much work into our summer reading program, it's because underneath all of the fun games, programs, reading logs, and prizes, we are diligently working to prevent the "summer slide," where research shows that students lose a significant amount of knowledge in reading and math over the summer break. Newer research even shows that students who do not read at all over the summer can experience a loss of reading skills equivalent to as much as an entire grade level. There are loads of other benefits to using the public library over the summer. There are chances to meet new friends, create community connections, stay active and explore new ideas or hobbies. Our Library of Things provides a lot of activities, too. We have board games, cake pans, karaoke machines, ukuleles, disc golf supplies and hiking backpacks, and these are just the beginning of our offerings. I am certain that you'll be sure to find something fun to enjoy these summer days. Our libraries are also a place to stay comfortable and cool during hot days and a very cost-effective way (free, in fact!) to access plentiful resources. And if you have some trips planned, don't forget about our digital library where you can use apps like Libby or CloudLibrary to access digital books, audiobooks, and magazines. [Read more]

Dear Community, April is always one of my favorite months. It brings along the lovely days of spring, and also National Library Week, which takes place April 6-12 this year. The week helps us highlight the valuable role that libraries and everyday library workers play in strengthening our communities and transforming lives. Unfortunately, this is also an uncertain time for libraries. As you may know, a White House Executive Order was issued on March 14 that called for the elimination of the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS). IMLS is the only federal agency that is dedicated to funding library services, with a mission to “advance, support, and empower America’s museums, libraries, and related organizations through grantmaking, research, and policy development.” Funding for IMLS represents less than 0.003% of the annual federal budget, and despite the inclusion of IMLS operations in the approved 2025 budget, future funding is uncertain. On March 31, all IMLS employees were placed on administrative leave, which suspended all grants and contracts.  (For more details on the Executive Order, please visit the American Library Association’s FAQ page.) IMLS funding is provided to the State Library of Oregon, who then provides the funds to libraries throughout the state of Oregon in various ways. While the Corvallis-Benton County Public Library doesn’t directly receive funds from IMLS, these cuts will still affect us. For example, the State Library operates a Statewide Database Licensing Program, purchasing usage licenses to a variety of useful databases for all libraries across the state. The goal of the program is to equip libraries with a core set of quality online information resources that support basic library services and meet information and research needs within their communities. This [Read more]