LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – The Lake County Library joins libraries in schools, campuses and communities nationwide in celebrating National Library Week April 12-18, a time to highlight the changing role of libraries, librarians and library workers.
Libraries today are more than warehouses for books. Instead, libraries and librarians are change agents within their communities – transforming lives through innovative educational resources and forward-thinking programming.
Libraries are doing their part to close the digital divide and level the playing field by providing free access to information and technologies that many in their communities would be hard pressed to find elsewhere.
Libraries help to ensure the American dream and promote democracy by providing service to all regardless of race, ethnicity, creed, age, ability, sexual orientation, gender identity or socio-economic status.
Librarians work with elected officials, small business owners, students and the public at large to discover and meet the needs of their communities. Whether through offering e-books and technology classes, materials for English-language learners, programs for job seekers or offering a safe haven in times of crisis, librarians listen to the community they serve, and they respond.
The Lake County Library serves Lake County by providing books and other materials for free checkout.
The library presents free informative and entertaining programs including story times at all branches and the Summer Reading Programs for children and teens; the Know Lake County lecture series and, currently, the Book-to-Action: Cooked events.
The library hosts several free book clubs for the public at library branches around the county. The Lake County Collection at Lakeport Library contains books, microfilms and audio-visual materials relating to Lake County.
The library offers free Internet computers and wi-fi for the public, free movie showings at some branches and meeting rooms at some branches.
The Lake County Library works with other organizations to bring information to the citizens of Lake County.
The library invites speakers from other agencies, some of which create displays in the library. Library employees disseminate the library’s information into the community through programs at schools and community events.
Lakeport opened Lake County’s first public library in 1907, followed Upper Lake in 1916, Middletown in 1930 and Clearlake in the 1960s. Those libraries banded together to form the Lake County Library system 40 years ago.
Since 2001 the Lake County Library has shared an online catalog with the Sonoma and Mendocino County libraries, which gives patrons access to about one million items.
“What’s so great about the library is that it’s a part of the community,” said Christopher Veach, county librarian for the Lake County Library system, “it’s a place for people to come and find whatever it is they want to know to accomplish their own goals or enrich their community.”
First sponsored in 1958, National Library Week is a national observance sponsored by the American Library Association (ALA) and libraries across the country each April.
Lakeport Library is located at 1425 N. High St. and the phone number is 707-263-8817. Hours are Tuesdays, Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Wednesdays from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.
Redbud Library is located at 14785 Burns Valley Rd. in Clearlake and the phone number is 994-5115. Hours are Tuesdays, Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. and Wednesdays from noon to 7:00 p.m.
Middletown Library is located at 21256 Washington St., telephone 707-987-3674. Hours are noon to 5 p.m., Tuesdays through Fridays, and Saturdays, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Upper Lake Library is located at Main and Second streets, telephone 707-275-2049. Hours are noon to 5 p.m., Tuesdays through Fridays, and Saturdays, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
The Lake County Library is on the Internet at http://library.lakecountyca.gov where you can find the library catalog, library hours and a calendar of upcoming events.
Also look for the Lake County Library on Facebook, https://www.facebook.com/LakeCountyLibrary .
Jan Cook is a staffer at the Lake County Library.