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Dear Community, As August rolls in, I am excited to share the highlights of a bustling summer at our libraries. Thanks to your enthusiasm and participation, our Summer Reading Program has been a resounding success! Year after year, we see a record number of participants, and this year we expect to smash our old numbers once again. It’s been wonderful to meet so many inspiring readers. Even though August is often a quiet month for us, we’re not slowing down! We’re in the middle of some fantastic projects that promise to enhance our libraries and your experiences with us: Philomath Community Library Expansion: I’m happy to share that we are conducting a feasibility study regarding an expansion of the Philomath Community Library. This potential expansion would provide more space, resources, and opportunities for all. In October, we plan to have several events seeking public input, as well as a few potential designs for review. Corvallis Public Library Goes Green: Sustainability is key to our future, and we’re taking a significant step in that direction by installing solar panels on the Corvallis Public Library. This initiative will help us reduce our carbon footprint and energy costs, and keep us working toward our goal of being good environmental stewards. Improved Services at the Monroe Community Library: Patrons visiting the Monroe Community Library can now scan documents for free using the library’s copier. In the coming months, there will also be some shifting of the collections so that items are easier to find and browse. These changes might seem small, but they add up to better service for our community members. Alsea Community Library Art Installation: Arts and culture is thriving at the Alsea Community Library! As [Read more]

Dear Community, As April begins to paint our surroundings in vibrant hues, we have a plethora of exciting events here at the Corvallis-Benton County Public Library. This month is especially meaningful to us at the Library because April is when we celebrate National Library Week! This year’s theme is “Ready, Set, Library!” and promotes the idea that in our always-online world, libraries give us a green light to something truly special: a place to connect with others, learn new skills, and focus on what matters most. During this time, we encourage you to explore, become inspired, and connect with the library in whatever way fits your lifestyle best. While I know patrons and community members appreciate the invaluable contributions the library makes to our community, it’s also helpful to understand the scope of that impact. Here are a few statistics that you might find interesting. Did you know that we see an average of 630 people sign up for a library card every month? Or that through the hard work of staff and volunteers, we fill an average of 26,300 holds each month? Perhaps even more surprising is that the libraries in our system see an average of almost 35,000 visits per month. This is the perfect time for me to express my gratitude to all our staff and volunteers, who come to work each day at the Library with a sense of purpose, passion, and enthusiasm. A library is more than a building and it’s thanks to these amazing individuals that we can provide excellent service to the community. Thank you for your continued support, and we look forward to seeing you this April! Warm regards, Ashlee Return to April Newsletter Return [Read more]

Happy Spring and Happy National Library Week! National Library Week is an annual celebration highlighting the valuable role libraries, librarians, and library workers play in transforming lives and strengthening our communities. This year, National Library Week takes place from April 23 to 29 and is being celebrated with the theme “There’s More to the Story.” This year’s theme is a reminder that libraries are about more than books! Libraries are welcoming spaces that bring communities together for entertainment, education, and connection through book clubs, storytimes, movie nights, crafting classes, lectures, and more. Libraries also play a critical role in the economic vitality of communities by providing internet and technology access, literacy skills, and support for job seekers, small businesses, and entrepreneurs. That isn't to say libraries are not facing some difficult times. Just this week, the American Library Association’s Office for Intellectual Freedom released new data documenting 1,269 demands to censor library books and resources in 2022, the highest number of attempted book bans since ALA began compiling this data more than 20 years ago. This nearly doubles the 729 challenges reported in 2021. 58% of these challenges targeted books and materials in school libraries, classroom libraries or school curricula and 41% of the book challenges targeted materials in public libraries. I also want to focus on the many victories we can celebrate here in Corvallis and Benton County. Here are just a few: The Corvallis Library finished a construction project that expanded the square footage of the building, adding four new study rooms, a reading lounge, and a small classroom space. In partnership with the Alsea Community Effort, we began new fundraising efforts to support the Alsea Community Library and received several large [Read more]