New ‘Experience’

Everyone knows libraries have books.

It’s become commonplace, too, that the facilities also offer computers to use and movies and music to check out.

But local library staffers felt there were still many offerings that the public might be overlooking.

With a goal of shining a light on all of the different ways it is used, Jay County Public Library is holding a month-long “Love Your Library Experience” in celebration of National Library Lovers Month, which begins today.

The concept of the event is simple.

Each library patron will receive a punch card.

Visit the library, get a punch.

Check out an item, any item, get a punch.

Attend a library program, get a punch.

For every five punches, a patron will get one entry into a drawing for 15 gift bundles that will be distributed at the end of the month. Those include a variety of items, from accessories for mobile technology, art and literature kits, stuffed animals and, of course, books.

Adult services librarian Cheryl Lucas said that while literacy and reading will always be at the core of the library’s mission, “there’s so much more the library does, and more reasons people come to the library than just to get books. So we wanted to come up with something that would embrace all aspects of library services and include all people that come through the doors.

“We want people to come in and use the library, even if they’re just coming in to use the wifi, if they’re coming in to do homework, if they’re bringing their children to play with the interactive toys that we have.”

So patrons can get a punch for visiting the library for reasons as simple as reading a periodical, perusing the reference materials in the Indiana Room or making copies.

The list of items that can be checked out includes not just books, movies and CDs, but also art prints, audio visual equipment, board games, puzzles and two of Jay County Public Library’s newer offerings — activity kits and video games.

The kits were kicked off a little over a year ago, starting with holiday-shaped baking pans and cookie cutters. Now visitors to the library can check out kits that allow them to learn skills like photography and knitting as well.

The video game collection was added in August. It currently totals 55 games for PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch and Wii U. A couple of the most popular are “Star Wars: Battlefront” and “Call of Duty: WWII.”

Lucas noted that the trend in libraries is to have “a collection of things,” mentioning that Tamarack Library in Lakeview, Michigan, where she worked for 14 years before coming to Jay County in 2014, offers kayaks and paddle boards. It would be nice, eventually, she added, for Jay County Public Library to be able to offer bicycles.

“We’re always looking to add materials to our collection that our community wants and is looking for,” said Lucas. “There’s a whole world of experiences that you can access that may be just as exciting as sitting down with a really good book. If sitting down with a really good story is not your choice of entertainment or relaxation, there are other things that the library still has to offer you.”