Brian Hagberg
WARREN, Pa. – The Warren Public Library added its wrinkle to National Library Week by celebrating Patron Appreciation Day on Tuesday, April 9.
First sponsored in 1958, National Library Week is a national observance sponsored by the American Library Association and libraries of all types across the country each April. Patron Appreciation Day is a local event created several years ago.
“Our Children’s Librarian, Susan Slater, started it here several years ago,” Warren Library Association Executive Director Kelli Knapp said. “We wouldn’t have a library if it weren’t for our community. We do what we do for them. They help us to remain funded and keep our doors open. The staff here enjoys helping and talking with the people who walk through our doors every day. We want to let them know that we appreciate them!”
Part of the purpose of National Library Week is to remind people of the various roles libraries play in the community.
“We are a meeting place,” Knapp said. “We are a community hub. We are a safe place. We are a comfortable place. Come to read, to study, to see friends, to relax, and get away from daily pressures. It doesn’t matter who you are or why you are here, you are welcome!”
With the explosion of the internet and the digital age, the library has had to make several adaptations to keep its materials current.
“The library has free e-books and e-audiobooks (try us before you buy them!), many helpful databases that provide more in-depth, and often more accurate, information than you can find on Google (law, ancestry, auto repair, test prep, world newspapers, foreign language learning, financial ratings, movies, on-demand video courses, and more!), free wi-fi and computer use – including a computer to accommodate special needs, meeting rooms with streaming capabilities, I could go on,” Knapp said.
Knapp added the library offers a variety of services that community members may not be aware of.
“Everyone knows we have books,” Knapp said. “They don’t often realize everything else we provide. We have many programs for children, teens, and adults, including story times, crafts, book clubs, life after high school prep, meditation, and chair yoga, Master Gardeners classes, writing classes, a recording studio, and more.”
One of the library’s newer programs, the Library Speakers Consortium, allows patrons to hear directly from authors.
“Warren Public Library showcases a virtual author talk series each month featuring bestselling, award-winning, and highly acclaimed authors from around the world,” Knapp said. ”The featured writers and thought leaders will cover a wide range of fiction and nonfiction genres. If you aren’t able to watch in real-time, all talks are recorded. You can watch past talks, as well, all the way back to July 2022, when this first began. The free, virtual series takes place two to three times a month and includes the opportunity to ask questions to the author.”
Nearly all the library’s programs are offered at no cost, and free library cards are available as well. More information about the Warren Public Library and its programs can be found here.
