I.V. branch library open; Williams, Wolf Creek to come
From our weekly issue dated October 14, 2009
After sitting vacant for more than two years in Cave Junction, the former Illinois Valley Branch of the county system is open and showing signs of life under the private Josephine County Library Inc. (JCLI).
Bicycles are frequently lined up on a rack at the front door, and the computer terminals inside the building are back in use. Patrons of all ages are returning to the library in droves, making up for the time lost while the facility stood closed.
The branch officially opened on Sept. 5, and Linda Naydol couldn’t be happier. Naydol, the I.V. Branch liaison, was among the JCLI volunteers who worked to reopen the branch after county budget cuts forced closure of the former county system in May 2007.
Especially encouraging to Naydol has been the amount of volunteer support for the branch, much of it from younger people.
“They’re the future of the library,” Naydol said. “They are our lifeblood.”
JCLI Board President Doug Walker also has been pleased at the level of support from Illinois Valley residents.
“I think everybody’s pretty jazzed about the progress we’ve made out there and what’s been going on with the activity from the community,” Walker said.
There were some initial problems with the library’s Internet connection, but those have been solved.
Naydol said that volunteers have been busy processing the new materials coming in regularly to update and issue library cards for eager patrons. The children’s section has had much use, she said, and the on-site book store is open.
Volunteers also are working to fix up the young adult section and developing a wish list of books to purchase for persons of that particular demographic.
The library is open from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Wednesdays and Fridays, and noon to 4 p.m. on Saturdays. Naydol said that may change, as JCLI is looking at ways to extend the hours between the time classes at public schools end, and the evening.
In November, the library will participate in the Cave Junction ArtWalk. The I.V. String Band is slated to perform on the premises, and food and art will be part of the festivities.
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A free Storytime & Art Program for preschool-aged children has kicked off at the branch. It is held from 11 a.m. to noon Wednesdays through Nov. 18. The program is co-sponsored by Illinois River Valley Arts Council Learning Through Art program, and is headed by Patti Culver.
Up next for JCLI is the Nov. 7 opening of the Williams Branch. A lease agreement with the county is in place, and Walker said that it will be operated in much the same manner as the Illinois Valley Branch, with one part-time paid staffer coordinating volunteers.
Plans also are in place to open the Wolf Creek Branch by the onset of Christmas break, Walker said. That branch has been open as a reading library for four hours a week to satisfy a grant requirement.
Opening all the branches by the end of the year was JCLI’s goal all along, Walker said. Once that happens, he said, JCLI will focus its efforts on acquiring sustained funding and expanding hours of operations.
“We’re still, like always, trying to raise money,” Walker said. “That’s still the biggest issue we have. Along with that goes increasing services to provide more hours and more books.”
A membership drive is to begin on Thursday, Oct. 15, with mailings to past JCLI donors. Also under way is a pumpkin sale, where teen-age volunteers are painting the Halloween decorations and selling them for $20 apiece. Those can be purchased at the Grants Pass and Illinois Valley branches.
In the meantime, Naydol said that she anticipates a further uptick in activity at the I.V. Branch as the onset of fall brings colder weather. But she and the other JCLI volunteers are perfectly prepared for that.
“People just seem happy to have their library back,” she said. “They’re getting back into the habit of coming to the library.” Visit josephinelibrary.org for more information.
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