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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]

Dear Community, Since March is Women’s History Month, I thought it would be an appropriate time to share the origin story of the Corvallis Public Library. In 1883, the Corvallis Coffee Club was formed by Mrs. Rose J. Wilson, who saw a need to serve coffee and sandwiches to firefighters on duty. She invited eight other women to join her: Mrs. L. H. Additon, Mrs. M. A. Atwood, Miss Kate Carlile, Mrs. James Cauthorn, Mrs. F. A. Helm, Miss Eda Jacobs, Miss Rose Jacobs, and Mrs. Nellie Woodward. They began their work immediately. The activities of the Coffee Club soon expanded to include a variety of other community service projects and fundraisers, and at the club’s meeting on October 30, 1899, the group voted to create a Coffee Club Library. This led to the formation of a Library Committee in charge of selecting books for the collection. The first two books purchased were Pilgrim’s Progress and World Almanac. For those especially curious, the library was housed on the same floor as the fire department! Initially, these library books were only for members of the Coffee Club. According to club minutes, it took a “liberal donation” of $30 by the firemen for them to receive “the privilege” of using the collection too! It would take another 15 years for the collection to become the official Corvallis Public Library, and 16 years after that, in 1920, the City of Corvallis assumed responsibility for the library. Mrs. Rose J. Wilson eventually became the first chair of the Library Board, and the Corvallis Coffee Club eventually became the Corvallis Woman’s Club, and to them we are immeasurably thankful! One last fun fact about our library and the women [Read more]

Dear Community, As I sit down to write this letter to you, the sun is shining through my window. It is a rare and lovely sight in January. However, clear winter weather often brings below-freezing temperatures as well. During these times, all our library locations serve as warming centers during open hours. Unfortunately, the library cannot always be open. This might be because of dangerous and challenging travel conditions for staff or because we are closed in observation of a holiday. In anticipation of these types of closures, last fall we worked on a solution with our partners at Benton County. On January 20, we put this plan into action. While the rest of the Corvallis Library was closed to observe a holiday during freezing temperatures, Benton County staff were able to open the Library’s Main Meeting Room so that community members could visit the library and stay warm. We had about 40 visitors during the open hours of 9am-4pm. Well-behaved and housebroken pets were also allowed, as pets are a common reason people do not seek refuge during extreme weather events. A group of four high school students also used the space to work on their school projects together. Visitors enjoyed snacks and hot cocoa, learned more about the resources available to them, and spent a quiet day together in a nice, warm space. We are very thankful for this partnership with Benton County. Best, Ashlee Return to all Library Director's Letters

Dear Community, As we approach the end of 2024, I would like to take a moment to express my heartfelt gratitude for the incredible support we have received from our community throughout the year. It’s been a year of growth and exciting initiatives, all made possible because of you—the patrons, donors, and volunteers who help make the Corvallis-Benton County Public Library a vital resource for everyone in our community. We are especially excited about our recent floorplan changes at the Corvallis Public Library, and I encourage you to stop by and experience them firsthand! As you may know, we were recently closed in order to replace our outdated carpet and took the opportunity to rearrange the youth and teen sections of the library in order to create a more engaging and welcoming space. Whether you're looking for a cozy area to read with your children, a fun play space to enjoy with younger kids (and maybe meet new friends), or you are a teen looking for a great spot to study and hang out, we hope you’ll find this updated space both enjoyable and inspiring. December also brings an opportunity to shop for holiday gifts while supporting the library. The Friends of the Library’s Holiday Book Sale will be taking place on December 6 and 7, offering a curated selection of gift-quality books. It's a perfect chance to find that special present for the book lover in your life, all while supporting the continued work of the library. Here’s to a joyful, peaceful, and book-filled December for all! Warmly, Ashlee Return to December Newsletter Return to all Library Director's Letters

Dear Community, Welcome to Fall! This is my favorite season and one that is particularly enjoyable in Oregon! Not only is the weather beautiful, but we have some fantastic projects coming up at the Library! The first exciting project comes with a small dose of bittersweet news: the Corvallis Public Library will be closed from November 3 - November 18. This closure will allow for the carpet on the first floor of the library to be entirely replaced, something that has not occurred for over thirty years in some of the areas! During this time, we also plan to change some floor plan arrangements that will allow for us to create a sensory play area for younger children and a more defined space for teens. During this closure, there will be limited access to some of our items, but we plan to offer delivery service and our branch libraries will remain open. If you’ve never visited the locations we have in Alsea, Monroe, and Philomath, this would be an awesome time to check them out! Speaking of the Philomath Community Library, you may already know that this beautiful and charming branch location is a well-loved building in the community. Since the building was originally constructed, the size and needs of the Philomath community have changed substantially. To ensure that we are offering library services that meet the needs of the community, the City of Philomath recently engaged the services of Robertson Sherwood Architects to embark on a feasibility study regarding an expansion of the library. Throughout this study, RSA has studied the needs of the library patrons, the existing footprint of the building, and ideas for potential future expansion. We are now ready to [Read more]

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]

Dear Community,Happy New Year!For many people, January brings about a time of reflection, planning and goal setting. Whether or not you happen to fall into this category, remember that the Library is here to be a resource for you all year long through our expansive collection of materials, dedicated staff and safe and welcoming spaces. I hope you all have an amazing year ahead of you.The Library also has some fun goals we are taking on in 2024! We are taking on several new initiatives including developing a new strategic plan, pursuing installation of a solar array at the Corvallis Public Library, and furthering our work in the areas of diversity, equity, and inclusion. As we settle into using our new computer system, we also hope to make some of the most-requested changes from library patrons, so that your experience can be as smooth as possible. I am certain that by the end of 2024, the Library will only have continued to innovate, improve and offer you the best service possible.With all of that said, I hope you start 2024 off with a visit to your local library. There’s nothing quite so inspiring as walking through the stacks and seeing what new adventure awaits you.Best,Ashlee Return to CBCPL January 2024 Newsletter Return to all Library Director's Letters