Ashland Public Library invites the community to read, learn, play and even find a job
The traditional exterior of the Ashland Public Library gives no inkling of the hidden treasures inside ? an indoor playground and The Studio, a STEAM-focused story time room and play lab.
The innovative spaces are open to the public, and equipment, some of which wouldn't be affordable to the general public, are accessible at no charge with just a library card.
The library, 224 Claremont Ave., has offered all sorts of information and resources for years on end ? reading material, music, movies, story times and programs just to name a few ? but 21st century innovations forced libraries to adapt to stay relevant.
The indoor playground is climbable, similar to what some fast-food restaurants offer, and usually available during library hours.
The Studio explores learning with entertaining activities with all sorts of equipment, including virtual reality headsets, microscopes, a play area and accessories to go with books for story time.
Give coding play, stop motion animation a try
Among the summer programs in The Studio are coding play and stop motion animation.
New ways to bolster literacy and combine learning with entertainment aren't confined to the studio.
Katie Buttrey, support services manager, demonstrated a Toniebox, a Wonderbook and a LaunchPad.
Children place a storybook character atop a Toniebox ? a screen-free device that plays stories and songs to go with the character.
A Wonderbook is a promotion with an audio device to allow children to read along with the text.
The library also lends about 150 LaunchPads, interactive eBooks great for car rides and vacations, Buttrey said.
Binge Boxes are collections of same-genre videos good for "hibernating," she said.
One of the many services for adults is helping patrons with a resume builder, said Stella Metcalf, public services manager, noting they often return to say, "I got the job."
The big thing Charlotte Tolbert, the library's director of just seven months, wants patrons to know is everyone is welcome.
Tolbert said the library serves a diverse population. "We are inviting and welcoming. It's a place anyone can visit," and everything is free, she said.
"Patrons are our family," said Metcalf.
"We are the family member who is good at computers," Tolbert said.
But, even though the library features multiple non-traditional services, "books are never going away," she pointed out.
This article originally appeared on Ashland Times Gazette: Ashland Public Library: Learn and be entertained in The Studio
