SUNBURY – Local libraries host special programs this week . . . Saturday marks the end of National Library Week, and area librarians have been busy promoting special events to celebrate it.
This year’s theme is Welcome to the Library. Melissa Rowse, director of the Degenstein Community Library in Sunbury, says the library is so much more than the building and books.
“When you think of the library, most people think of books but we are so much more than that. We are truly a community center,” Rowse said.
Degenstein and the Montgomery House Warrior Run Area Public Library have been featuring online classes and expanded wi-fi throughout the pandemic. This week’s special programs feature storytimes, armchair aerobics, contests and more.
Montgomery House Library Director J. A. Babay says accommodations have been made during the pandemic, but the libraries are not giving up. She and Rowe both make wellness check calls to area shutins, and the library remains a social hub even with masks and social distancing.
“The first thing we want peple to konw is that we are still here. We’ve been here the whole time. People are using us in ways they’ve never been used before and we’re doing stuff we’ve never done before,” Babay said.
All seven Northumberland County libraries are participating in this year’s celebration, but it’s always library week at your local library. To hear the full WKOK Sunrise interview with Rowse and Babay, visit the WKOK podcast page.
