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Andrea Dixon
We are thrilled to feature our latest little free library in the Milo-Grogan Green Space!
The Milo-Grogan Green Space is a community park and garden created through a partnership between Cultivate CDC, Milo-Grogan Civic Association and Veritas Community Church with funding from United Way of Central Ohio.
Libraries are necessary gardens unsurpassed at growing excitement. – J. Patrick Lewis
The little free library is truly a community creation. Through our collaboration with the Milo-Grogan Community Center, we met area neighbors to gather input and garner support. Neighborhood artist Sami Harthoorn painted an incredible, vibrant, fruit-themed design that complements the garden surroundings. Additionally, the quote from local award-winning poet, J. Patrick Lewis, further harmonizes with the garden.
The library is now fully stocked and available for residents and visitors to the Green Space. The neighborhood has already embraced this new addition – shortly after installation, books had circulated and a thoughtful supporter improved the library by adding a magnetic door closure!
In 2017, we were grateful to receive a Neighborhood Partnership Grant (NPG) from United Way of Central Ohio. The NPG program offers competitive grants to improve the quality of neighborhood life in Franklin County.
This generous gift enabled Cbus Libraries to create the Milo-Grogan Green Space Little Free Library and our forthcoming Aminah Robinson Little Free Library for the King Arts Complex.
Over the past year, we have greatly enjoyed making new connections and collaborating with partners in the King-Lincoln District and Milo-Grogan to create beautiful and functional little free libraries. We encourage you to visit our latest little free library today!
Milo-Grogan Green Space
900 Cleveland Avenue
Columbus, OH 43201
The first month of the new Columbus Metropolitan Libraries Hilliard branch has been incredible and hectic, and although manager Robin Nesbitt deserves a vacation, she still radiates positive energy and excitement for the new facility. Robin, who came to the Hilliard branch in 2013, has been involved in planning the move for about two years. Now that it is complete, it’s satisfying to watch the community experience the space.
The new branch, which opened on June 21, is the largest in the library system. It is three times bigger than the previous Hilliard location. This increase in size provided the library with the opportunity to expand their collection as well as meeting and event spaces. The building includes a massive children’s section, cafe, three-season reading room, homework help center, teen space, a quiet reading room and over a dozen study and meeting spaces. With the increase in space, the staff is also growing. Robin will manage a team of 50 full and part-time employees once hiring is complete.
The community reaction to the building has been overwhelmingly positive. Robin shared patrons are most excited about the collection, the space and the excellent service provided by library staff. The library has seen a substantial increase in visitors and circulation over this time last year. They have already experienced 66,400 customer visits, compared to nearly half that number in 2017!
With more space comes more opportunities for the library to partner with the community in offering patron services. One initiative involves strengthening relationships with the schools. Several local schools will hold their staff retreats at the library this summer. The library and schools are exploring opportunities to bus students over for class visits, and the new homework help center will provide more space and resources for students after school.
In addition to partnering with the schools, the Hilliard branch also works with Tolles Technical Center to provide language classes for adults. Robin hopes that additional professional development classes will be offered in the future, in partnership with the Main branch. Son Ministries collaborates with the library to provide Job Start program services and adult conversation classes, and next summer the library will host the organization’s summer camp. Robin also fosters relationships with other organizations in the Hilliard community, including the YMCA.
Visit Columbus Metropolitan Library Hilliard Branch today! You’re certain to find treasure.
The academic year has concluded for students at Capital University, but the Blackmore Library is still a hub of activity!
We had the pleasure of meeting with Library Director Rachel Rubin and Information Services Librarian Matthew Cook to learn about the library’s transformation and upcoming initiatives. The Blackmore Library was built in 1969 and received an impressive face-lift in 2012. Matthew participated in the update and shared it was a campus-wide initiative. The university was dedicated to determining the needs of students and faculty by creating a space conducive to serving them. The result of their work is a bright and inviting space with a focus on service and availability.
The main portion of the library is open to students to meet and study 24/7. It features ample study space, a cafe area with coffee and snack machines and whiteboard tables for brainstorming.
The remodel also gave the library an opportunity to build on partnerships with other college departments. The IT department, which was previously housed in the basement of the building, now shares space at the service desk in the center of the library. This change improved service to students, who often sought the help of IT staff for printer and computer issues at the library. The Offices of Academic Success and Student Success, the Schumacher Gallery and a reading center for education students are also housed within the library. This arrangement offers opportunities for partnership and brings more students into the library. The library’s design team also created vibrant navigation tools to help students find their way around the building. Color coded maps make it much easier for library visitors to find the correct floor and shelf location for materials they seek.
The Blackmore Library is home to several unique collections. They maintain the Capital University archives, the Lois Lenski collection and faculty publications. In the past, Summer Scholars have used the collections to perform documentary research and helped manage the archives. The future holds opportunities to digitize these materials. Library staff are also working to improve the circulating collection, using smart visual cues and statistics to determine which materials are most valuable to their users and what can be removed.
Rachel, who will celebrate her first anniversary at the library this summer, shared that the next few months will focus on increasing library the staff, which currently consists of five full-time employees and around 20 student workers. They are gearing up for the start of the 2018 school year with new initiatives, including a pilot project with “pop-up periodicals” to the business department, which will allow students easy access to materials in their area of study. At the beginning of the new school year, the library will partner with the admissions department for student orientation and offer instruction to first year students.
The library is a viable partner and supportive entity within the university – Library Director Rachel Rubin
Library staff work closely with many departments, as well as the community, partnering with the Bexley Public Library. Rachel looks forward to continuing to strengthen existing and develop new relationships. We encourage you to learn more and explore this incredible academic library!