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Andrea Dixon
The Franklin County Law Library is an incredible resource for Central Ohioans seeking legal information. The library, seated in a beautifully renovated space on the 10th floor of 369 S. High Street, provides services for county and state employees, attorneys and those representing themselves (pro se). Everyone is welcome to access the library, but only attorneys can hold library cards and check out items.
Each day, the library serves about 60 visitors in person, over the phone and via email. Requests include information about legal processes and forms, historic state law and issues pertaining to cases. Sometimes staff find themselves in delicate situations where they help both sides of the same case in the same day! Attorneys often visit on breaks and during recess to access information within the library’s collection and online Westlaw, LexisNexis and HeinOnline accounts. The library also hosts depositions and client/attorney meetings in its private meeting room.
Director Angela Baldree enjoys the opportunities each new day presents and appreciates a great staff and board who share a culture of collegiality. She works in collaboration with the Bar Association to promote library services and awareness and sends monthly newsletters to inform members about events and opportunities. The library also hosts a successful series of lunch and learn sessions covering a variety of useful topics like this month’s Hidden Gems. Select sessions have provided continuing legal education credits, furthering attendees’ professional development. For National Library Week, the library has partnered with Columbus Legal Aid and will collect and donate gently used children’s books to the organization. Bonus! Patrons who donate will receive $5 off any accrued fines for each book donated.
Each of the 88 counties in the state has its own law library which range greatly in size and scope of service. The law libraries are funded by revenue from speeding tickets and the Franklin County Law Library supplements their budget through activities like used book sales. The library is a member of Consortium of Ohio County Law Libraries, which allows the libraries to leverage their buying power, share resources and offers grants and consultation services to all of the county law libraries in the state. In turn, the Franklin County Law Library can share savings with Franklin’s other county agencies, building both good rapport and good will.
The Franklin County Law Libary is a bright and vibrant space and an obvious asset to the community.
Grandview Heights Public Library has been recognized as one of the best public libraries in the country by Library Journal, and based the amazing work they do for their community, it is easy to understand why. Director Ryan McDonnell and his staff are innovative and service oriented, collaborative and future thinking.
The library serves 27,000 cardholders from Grandview Heights and the greater Columbus area. Canaan Faulkner, public relations manager and adult programs/web content coordinator, describes the community as having a small town feel with metro-minded individuals.
McDonnell encourages his staff to think big and share their ideas. The commitment to innovation has led the way for exciting programs and offerings. In June of 2015, the library created and launched their pop up library. The first of its kind, it is an electric-powered mobile library which visits local festivals, markets and events. The cart features materials relevant to the event and offers visitors the option to check out books, pay fines, sign up for library cards and enjoy free Wi-Fi.
Last summer, the library began it’s wildly successful guitar lending program. Library customers can borrow guitars and learning materials. Local music store Musicology offers free classes and the Guitar House Workshop partners to provide maintenance to the instruments.
Collaboration is key to the library’s success. The library works with the city to provide free Wi-Fi at local parks, sports fields and the swimming pool. They partner with schools to support the school district’s 1:1 Computing Initiative, and a strong feeling of community support exists throughout the library. Local businesses are featured in display cases, local art hangs on the walls and partnerships with community businesses allow for special programs like the Library Foundation’s annual Chocolate Walk fundraiser.
The commitment demonstrated by Grandview Heights Public Library to serving its customers in new and exciting ways, both inside the building and beyond, is a stunning example of how public libraries can continue to act as fixtures in the communities they serve.
Columbus Metropolitan Library embarked on an amazing renovation of the Main Library building earlier this year. The library closed its doors and began the enormous project of transforming the beautiful and beloved building into a more welcoming, open and functional space. The Main Library, a Carnegie library, first opened its doors in 1907. The library has undergone five renovations since its opening, the last, completed in 1991 expanded the footprint of the building. This newest renovation will not increase the library’s square footage, but has been thoughtfully designed to create new open spaces, additional community meeting rooms and better access from outdoors.
Library Director of Marketing Gregg Dodd explained the reason for the renovation succinctly: libraries used to be about collections, now they are about connections. The renovation follows Columbus Metropolitan Library’s guiding principals of new buildings, which include transparency, flexibility, sustainability and customer experience. These principals are evident through the use of space, light, and technology within the building and in the system’s other projects (Whitehall, Parsons, Northern Lights, Shepard and Northside).
Dodd and Project Manager Fred Brock provided insight into the project, offering a sneak peek at the library, which is midway through the transformation. The entry area of the library has been opened up to create a larger space. The removal of the large staircase and transformation of the library’s back wall from brick to glass will provide a clear view from the front doors through to the new plaza and fountain at the rear of the building. The children’s space will feature a presentation area in the round to allow more visitors access to programs. Walls, both inside and out will be replaced with glass to create a brighter, more open environment. Additional meeting rooms and easily movable furniture will allow spaces to be transformed to optimize space for visitors needs. A breathtaking two-story reading room offers a beautiful view of Topiary Park and capacity for 700 seats, ideal for large programs. The changes all serve to offer better service to visitors and bring more people in to the library.
On June 25, 2016, the Main Library will celebrate their grand reopening. Visitors are invited to join in the celebration, which will feature live music, an outdoor movie and a visit from a famous author.
