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May 11, 2021 Dear Community, Thank you for your patience and support over the past fifteen months as we have navigated the reality of providing library services with facilities closed to the public. It has not been easy for any of us, but you have truly been the best community to work with, and we are all so thankful for your flexibility, adaptability, and your concern for the safety of the entire community. I am pleased to share with you that we are introducing a new service, coming soon: “Browse and Go.” With Browse and Go, we will invite you inside library buildings, during the same hours we were previously open pre-pandemic, to browse for items to check out. You will be able to use self-checkout machines and we will have staff available to assist with you with checkout if needed. While there will not be a time limit to using the building, we will ask that you browse for your items and then take them back home to enjoy, rather than doing so in the building. I look forward to the day we fully reopen our buildings and we can all enjoy our public library the way we used to. Until then, I hope this next step in services is a joyous one. Computer services will still be available in all locations, but will vary by building. Our schedule for opening Browse and Go services at each location is: Alsea Community Library: June 1 Monroe Community Library: June 1 Philomath Community Library: end of June Corvallis Library: July (a final date will be released in June) Will we still be offering delivery services? The answer is a resounding yes! We know many of [Read more]

March 2021 Dear Community, Welcome to March! I have some very exciting news to share with you. After years of working towards this goal, I am pleased to say that all Corvallis & Benton County families with children under the age of five are now eligible to register for Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library! The Imagination Library mails free, high-quality books to children from birth up until their fifth birthday. Each month, participants receive a new, age-appropriate book, which are available in English and Spanish, as well as Braille/audiobook options. Families can enroll their child online at unitedwaylbl.org/imaginationlibrary or get assistance enrolling by calling the Library at 541-766-6793. The launch of the program is thanks to the Early Learning Hub of Linn, Benton and Lincoln Counties, who provided a $55,000 grant to kick start the program! I remain especially grateful to United Way and the Corvallis School Distract who have been partners with the Library in the journey to bring this program to fruition for several years now. It is vital to have diverse, inclusive books in homes, and for children to feel ownership and pride in those books. Books from a public or school library are important, but the Imagination Library empowers our youth and encourages literacy skills by providing their own personal libraries. Please help us spread the word about this incredible, free program! Enjoy the spring weather! Ashlee Return to all Letters from the Library Director Return to CBCPL Newsletter

December 2020 Dear Community, Many of you probably remember around this time two years ago, the Corvallis Library was lucky to be the focus of an Eagle Scout Project entitled “Encouraging Reading through Art.” Vincent Bottaro, not even yet a high school freshman at the time, approached the Library about his idea for a potential Eagle Scout project, went through an extensive approval process and coordinated the project from start to finish. . The project involved painting the pillars of the library’s underground parking garage to look like the spines of books in fun colors to brighten up the dark space and the printed titles included the original fonts from their respective book covers. The Library Foundation funded the project and Vincent proved himself a true leader. He collaborated with Elements Graphics lead designer Katy Krupp and a group of volunteers to make the project happen. I am happy to share with you some great news about this completed project. Vincent just won the Glenn A. and Melinda W. Adams National Eagle Scout Service Project of the Year Award. There were only four projects in the western US to receive this award in the past year. Congratulations to Vincent! As you read our newsletter this month, you will see that we are continuing to make improvements to our services. We hope that you are enjoying the library even when things look a little different from usual. Do not hesitate to send us your suggestions and comments so that we can continue to improve. Best, Ashlee Return to all Letters from the Library Director Return to CBCPL Newsletter

September 2020 Dear Community, As we move into September, we are approaching the changing of seasons. With the arrival of fall, we know the sunny days we enjoy will be fewer than we like. Now that we have both walk-up service and delivery service options for you to choose from, you may find that your needs change as we transition into fall. We hear many questions about these services. I am answering some common questions we hear that might help you decide what service best meets your needs! Can I do both walk-up service and delivery? OCTOBER UPDATE: Yes, you may now utilize either service, or both. What are the main differences between the two? The main difference is immediacy. If you use walk-up service, you know you will be leaving with items right then and there! With delivery service, you may have to wait up to a week, but you have the added benefit of not leaving your home. In addition, you do not need to be home to receive a delivery! Please note you might need to wait in line for service, especially at the beginning of each walk-up session on Wednesdays and Saturdays.  As the weather changes, we understand your needs might change too. Waiting in line in the summer is different from waiting in line in the winter! We do not yet have either of these new service models perfected and are still planning to make improvements to improve efficiency. We are trying our best to balance service, safety and equity. Thank you for your patience and kindness as we work through it all. I do not want to use delivery because it seems expensive. Is delivery cost-prohibitive?   Great [Read more]