Public Libraries Aim to Bring in More Visitors
2022-09-28
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1A public library in Boston has a place for serving alcoholic, book-themed drinks.
2A library in Maryland has a basketball court steps away.
3Another in Delaware has a room for teenagers to play video games.
4Public libraries around the United States are changing what it means to be a library.
5Instead of just being places for books, they have become community centers.
6"The days of basically being a book repository...are over. They are long gone," said Lea Rosell.
7She is director of the Lewes Public Library in the state of Delaware.
8"We have one quiet room designated in this library. I think that goes to show that things are changing."
9Lewes opened its new library in 2016.
10Rosell said the newer and larger building has been able to attract new visitors and has permitted the library to hold more events.
11This month, the library held events like discussions about books and current events, movie showings, poetry writing workshops, and Spanish-language discussions.
12Rosell said one of the most popular events for children this year was when a nature center brought in several reptiles.
13The Lewes library also has a special room for teenagers, with books aimed at teens and young adults.
14In the Teen Tech Suite, they can use things like 3-D printers and virtual reality goggles.
15Delaware Libraries also has a program to mail a free book to families with young children each month.
16The goal is provide children with a large book collection in their home without having to pay for it themselves.
17In some communities, libraries are where people access social services.
18Rossell said that the library in Lewes and other libraries across the state can "fill the gaps" in community services.
19She said that because Delaware is a low-tax state, it does not have many community centers.
20Maria McCauley is the president of the Public Library Association and the director of public libraries in Cambridge, Massachusetts.
21"There's so much to the library experience that public libraries are offering now," she said.
22"It is often about enriching people's lives in a variety of ways. And it might be about learning a particular skill. It might be about just learning about an idea or an issue that's happening, or it might be about enjoying a performance."
23Wheaton, Maryland's, new public library opened in 2019 and is attached to a community recreation center.
24Library director Anita Vasallo said the combined building has gotten new visitors.
25For example, she said teenagers who use the recreation center's basketball court will "step into the library to see what's going on."
26There are also special spaces in the library for children to do their homework.
27McCauley said many libraries across the country have been built next to other services.
28In Cambridge, she said on one city block there is a library, a school, a community center, and an athletics center.
29Wheaton is in Montgomery County, Maryland, one of the most diverse counties in the United States.
30The county's school system has students from more than 164 countries speaking 184 languages.
31The diversity of the community drives much of the library's programming.
32For English learners, the library holds weekly conversation clubs, where people can talk in English in an informal setting.
33The library also holds job fairs and partners with local organizations to help families get health insurance.
34People who cannot afford to buy their own laptop computers can borrow one from the library.
35The American Library Association found that across the country, 76 percent of libraries help visitors use government programs and services.
36About 73 percent help people apply for jobs.
37"We really want libraries to be community hubs," Vasallo said.
38"That's what they're meant to be."
39The Wheaton and Lewes libraries have book stores where visitors can buy new and used books, often from the library's collection.
40The money raised goes back to supporting the libraries.
41Wheaton's library also has a café.
42Boston's historic Public Library has a tea room and bar with drinks like "Tequila Mockingbird" and "Of Milk and Men."
43"The idea of a library as a kind of a silent place where you come and do your research and think deep thoughts - it's not really what we do," Vasallo said.
44"Libraries can be very lively places that can be noisy. They should be full of life."
45I'm Dan Novak.
1A public library in Boston has a place for serving alcoholic, book-themed drinks. A library in Maryland has a basketball court steps away. Another in Delaware has a room for teenagers to play video games. 2Public libraries around the United States are changing what it means to be a library. Instead of just being places for books, they have become community centers. 3"The days of basically being a book repository...are over. They are long gone," said Lea Rosell. She is director of the Lewes Public Library in the state of Delaware. "We have one quiet room designated in this library. I think that goes to show that things are changing." 4Lewes opened its new library in 2016. Rosell said the newer and larger building has been able to attract new visitors and has permitted the library to hold more events. This month, the library held events like discussions about books and current events, movie showings, poetry writing workshops, and Spanish-language discussions. Rosell said one of the most popular events for children this year was when a nature center brought in several reptiles. 5The Lewes library also has a special room for teenagers, with books aimed at teens and young adults. In the Teen Tech Suite, they can use things like 3-D printers and virtual reality goggles. 6Delaware Libraries also has a program to mail a free book to families with young children each month. The goal is provide children with a large book collection in their home without having to pay for it themselves. 7In some communities, libraries are where people access social services. Rossell said that the library in Lewes and other libraries across the state can "fill the gaps" in community services. She said that because Delaware is a low-tax state, it does not have many community centers. 8Maria McCauley is the president of the Public Library Association and the director of public libraries in Cambridge, Massachusetts. 9"There's so much to the library experience that public libraries are offering now," she said. "It is often about enriching people's lives in a variety of ways. And it might be about learning a particular skill. It might be about just learning about an idea or an issue that's happening, or it might be about enjoying a performance." 10Wheaton, Maryland's, new public library opened in 2019 and is attached to a community recreation center. Library director Anita Vasallo said the combined building has gotten new visitors. For example, she said teenagers who use the recreation center's basketball court will "step into the library to see what's going on." There are also special spaces in the library for children to do their homework. 11McCauley said many libraries across the country have been built next to other services. In Cambridge, she said on one city block there is a library, a school, a community center, and an athletics center. 12Wheaton is in Montgomery County, Maryland, one of the most diverse counties in the United States. The county's school system has students from more than 164 countries speaking 184 languages. The diversity of the community drives much of the library's programming. 13For English learners, the library holds weekly conversation clubs, where people can talk in English in an informal setting. The library also holds job fairs and partners with local organizations to help families get health insurance. People who cannot afford to buy their own laptop computers can borrow one from the library. 14The American Library Association found that across the country, 76 percent of libraries help visitors use government programs and services. About 73 percent help people apply for jobs. 15"We really want libraries to be community hubs," Vasallo said. "That's what they're meant to be." 16The Wheaton and Lewes libraries have book stores where visitors can buy new and used books, often from the library's collection. The money raised goes back to supporting the libraries. 17Wheaton's library also has a café. Boston's historic Public Library has a tea room and bar with drinks like "Tequila Mockingbird" and "Of Milk and Men." 18"The idea of a library as a kind of a silent place where you come and do your research and think deep thoughts - it's not really what we do," Vasallo said. "Libraries can be very lively places that can be noisy. They should be full of life." 19I'm Dan Novak. 20Dan Novak wrote this story for VOA Learning English. 21______________________________________________________________________ 22Words in This Story 23repository - n. a place where a large amount of something is stored 24designate - v. to choose for a specific purpose or use 25reptile - n. a cold-blooded animal that lays eggs and has a hard body covering 26goggle - n. special eye glasses that fit close to the face 27access - v. to be able to get into or to use 28gap -n. a space between were one thing stops and another begins 29enrich - v. to improve the quality of something 30diverse - adj. involving many different kinds or groups of things 31block -n. an area of land surrounded by four streets in a city or town 32hub - n. a central or most active place