Morgantown Branch Has Room to Grow

The Morgantown Branch limped by for several years in its small location on the main drag in Morgantown. We worked hard to use up every bit of free space for books and public computers. We even packed kids and adults in for our Summer Reading programs. We had a faithful core of patrons who didn’t mind browsing the shelves even though it felt like they were browsing someone’s private library. We had patrons who used the computers despite the fact that there might be someone lurking over their shoulder trying to find a book on the shelf right next to them.

When a larger building down the street became available, and the Library Board voted to let us move there, we were giddy. Once the physical labor of moving was over, we immediately enjoyed the extra space, and light. Our faithful core of patrons was excited. We started getting new people coming in. Some were looking for the fabric store that had moved out, but most were there to see the “new” library in town. We issued a lot of new library cards, and were happy that more residents were starting to take advantage of having a library in their community.

 

That was almost two years ago. And while the initial excitement of moving has faded, our patrons and the staff are still reaping the rewards of a larger, more inviting facility. Computer users have an area separate from the bookshelves. No more browsing the Internet while someone is browsing books over your shoulder. We have plenty of free space for Wireless Internet users to choose from. There is a large meeting area for our Summer Reading programs, as well as any other programing needs. We have a great window area for creating eye-catching displays. We have been able to expand our DVD movie collection, as well as our audio book section. We are working on building a video game collection. And, we have more room for books.

The Morgantown Branch is still considered small compared to some other libraries, but we have more to offer our patrons than ever before. We can request books from any of the Evergreen Indiana Consortium libraries for our Morgan County patrons to pick up in Morgantown. If you want audio books, e-books, or music, we can help you learn how to use our online digital collection. If you need a space to hold a meeting, we can accommodate you.

Our physical space may have increased, but we are still committed to giving our patrons a small town quality of service. If you haven’t checked out our “new” branch yet, stop by and see it for yourself.