Written by Elizabeth Craib, Programming Assistant
Published in the Vermont Standard September 24, 2015
When we consider the value of something we typically look at the price tag first then compare it to something else. We consider how important that item is to us and then think about benefit it will bring to us in the long run. As New Englanders, we have a reputation for wise use of our limited funds. With tight budgets both at home and at work, value has become even more central to our lives.
As a nonprofit, the library is constantly looking at the value that we bring to our community – is what we are doing worth-while? Will anyone care? Are we making a difference? Just ask any charitable organization in our community, they’ll tell you that relevance and value is never far from their minds. Being a library in the ever-changing digital world, we’ve got the added task of reshaping the perception of what we do. Were we simply a repository for books we might find ourselves on the endangered list – but there’s more going on at our libraries than that. If you take a closer look you’ll soon see that Norman Williams Public Library, and libraries everywhere, are reshaping and reinventing themselves.
Libraries have always been centers for learning (since as early as 2600BC!) people have associated them almost exclusively with books and academic pursuits. Of course we love (and value) our collection at the library and look forward to watching it grow and patrons for to continue to borrow books, but we also see that learning comes in many forms. We also see that people’s daily lives have changed with new demands on their time and pocket books.
How does this all relate to us? The NWPL is continuing the tradition of making information accessible to all people. In fact, our Inspirational Dream is: “To be the valued community hotspot, enriched by amazing resources, enabling adventures in lifelong learning, championing knowledge and wisdom. “
Is this a case of self-preservation? Are we in fear for our library lives? Not really. We’re looking at what our community finds valuable and providing learning opportunities in a format that is relevant. Books made of paper aren’t your thing? Please borrow our e-reader or audio books. Having trouble navigating new technology? Come visit our tech savvy tutors for help. Need a space to unwind and connect with friends? Visit one of our many musical or theatrical performances. Have busy kids to entertain? Stop by our Children’s room for regular story times, movies and art activities. If you are looking for a quiet nook to read or focus on your studies, we’ve got that. But we’ve also got space to learn “out loud” – come and explore with us!
This month at the Norman Williams Public Library we’ve got a packed schedule of programs that are designed to build on our mission of being a center for lifelong learning. For bodies in motion we’re offering a unique opportunity to learn – Tuesdays through October 27th Gerry Sandweiss will be holding (free) Qigong classes in the Mezzanine level. For little bodies in motion we offer two story times each week – Mondays for babies and Tuesdays for pre-K – both at 10:30am in the Children’s room. Technology is ever-present as well. Join us each week for Tech Savvy Wednesdays, a time for one-on-one tech tutoring; or for a discussion of the World of Digitization on October 6thst. We’ll also be holding a planning session for our new Innovation Lab, which is in the works. Be a part of the team that makes it happen on September 24th and join Travis Hellstrom and several of Woodstock’s great entrepreneurs help plan an Innovation Lab at the Norman Williams Public Library. We will want to hear your ideas and share with you ours. Of course we haven’t abandoned our love of the written word – we’re excited to welcome author Judith Nies to read and discuss her book Unreal City on October 1st. For less formal book discussion we offer our Classic Book Group on October 13th and our What’s on Your Nightstand group on October 17th.
We recognize that we aren’t alone in this pursuit of knowledge and are delighted to be a resource and a partner for other area organizations. On September 24th we are joining Sustainable Woodstock and Pentangle Arts to bring the film Who Pays the Price to the Town Hall Theater. We also look forward to continuing our work with the Woodstock History Center as we bring new chapters from Stories of Woodstock Past to our community. On October 16th we are partnering with local founders to host this year’s Woodstock Digital Media Festival– a cutting edge event.
For more information on these and other exciting and informative programs at Norman Williams Public Library, please visit our website www.normanwilliams.org or stop by for a visit!
Now how’s that for value?