First of all, I want to thank dynamic director Jennifer Thompson for taking time out of her extremely busy schedule to meet with me, discuss library issues and give me a thorough tour of the Chillicothe & Ross County Public Library (C&RPL).  This library system has the main branch, a Carnegie library on Paint St. in Chillicothe, and 6 branches located in strategic places throughout Ross County.  I visited the main branch, which has gone through several innovative remodels during the 20th century.  The last remodel opened up the library stacks yet still maintained the original feeling of the Carnegie architecture.  I love the atmosphere in this library! 
The biggest issue at hand when I visited the library was the Nov. 6th election.  The library had a levy on the ballot, whose funds were to be used to expand the very crowded main library, connect it to the old central school the library had purchased and create more room for staff and patrons, including large meeting rooms.  I am truly sorry to report that the levy didn’t pass.

Jennifer brought up some other interesting issues that are facing libraries.  Baby boomer library staff is retiring, and this is creating a new era in library management and staffing.  C&RCPL has recently gained four new managers in the last six months because of retirement.  New young management staff brings transition due to this cultural change and brings about new bonds and perspectives.  It also brings to the forefront the need for substantial workshops aimed at new library managers.  Another issue she noted is the need for library management to partner with each other and with OLC to do political lobbying on behalf of libraries.  I think this is a great idea!  I encourage everyone who is reading this to comment on their experience or opinions on the issues that Jennifer has raised.

I spent many days researching, working on papers (and yes, hanging out) at the Quinn Library at OUC while earning my undergraduate degree (more years ago than I am going to confess here!) Times have changed, even since my last visit to the library several years ago.  When you first walk into the Stevenson Center where the library is located, you will find the Learning Commons, a place that hosts an information desk as well as lots of computers arranged to look like an Internet cafe.  Wireless access is also available in the Learning commons as well as throughout the library (the library has awesome new “laptop furniture- check out the pictures).  Before the entrance to the library is the art gallery, a place where art students can showcase.  The current art display, “Heteromorphic Materialization” by Kate Fyffee is refreshing to the eye and worth an extra trip to the library to check out.

Head librarian (and a former classmate) Dr. Allan L. Pollchik gave me a quick tour of the library and its newest features.  One thing I would like to highlight is the library’s nationally recognized special collection on religious tolerance.  This collection contains first editions of books like John Locke’s Letters Concerning Toleration published in 1765 as well as Voltaire’s A Treatise on Toleration (1779) and Letters Concerning the English Nation (1733).  Check out some awesome photographs by Andy Gigley available on the special collection link above.

Thank you for the tour Allan, it was fun and it was nice to meet your friendly and professional staff!

I had a “spooktacular” visit to the Oak Hill Public Library (OHPL)!   The Library Teen (KEY) Advisory Board had just held their annual Harvest Party the night before my visit.  The Harvest Party features scary stories, a skit, songs, jokes as well as a haunted tour of the library.  The library was decorated “to the hilt”!  Director Peggy Johnson coordinates the event-filled calendar at OHPL.  The Saturday prior, Pulitzer Prize-nominated author Lester V. Horwitz visited the library to talk about Morgan’s Raid.  Horwitz’s book, The Longest Raid of the Civil War was nominated for the Pulitzer Prize in History.

This library is very new, built in 2004.  Peggy gave me the nitty gritty tour- from the beautiful public area to the spacious technical room, which at the time of my visit was converted to a very spooky haunted house!  What a gorgeous building!  I would love nothing better than to sit down in the reading area beside the floor to cathedral ceiling windows and read a magazine article or book!  Thank you to the director and staff of the OHPL for a great visit!

The weather cleared and made way for a beautiful day for my visit to the Jackson City Library (JCL).  Meeting with director Laura Thorne is always fun- we love to pick on each other and conduct conversations at warp speed.  JCL has been quite busy!  September in Jackson brings the Jackson County Apple Festival and for the library, the Apple Festival Quilt Show.  Over 500 people (yes, 500!) wandered in the library over a four day period to view the beautiful quilts displayed in the Potter meeting room.  Laura also informed me that JCL now offers wireless access.  This has been a very popular service utilized by library patrons.  A generous grant has allowed the library to also venture into the world of Playaway audio books.  (As a audio book enthusiast, I am anxious to try one!)  JCL is also starting an evening Family Storytime.  Family storytime will include books, games, crafts and snacks for the whole family. What a great idea!  As a working mom, I miss out on taking my toddler to storytime.  This is a great opportunity for today’s busy families to experience storytime at the library.  Check out the pictures I took of the library.  Can you see the moon above the library?  I really like the teen corner they have created.  Laura and staff have done a terrific job of dividing a big open space into defined zones for patrons.