This is definitely not your parents’ library

AMONG THE EMPLOYEES who manage everything from the books to programs and services at the Oscar Grady Library in Saukville are (from left) Julie Gallo, children’s services manager; KC Butz, a page; Library Director Emily Laws; and Stephanie Saali, library assistant. Press file photo
For many people, libraries conjure up images of stuffy spaces filled with musty books and managed by stern librarians.
While that may have been an accurate depiction at one time, Oscar Grady Public Library Director Emily Laws has a much different vision for libraries.
She said modern libraries — including Saukville’s Oscar Grady — are becoming centers for the community to gather, interact and learn.
And while that doesn’t mean the library is abandoning its core mission of providing informational resources to its patrons, it does mean that it is offering new services that one might not expect to find there.
For instance, programs like Oscar Grady’s Adventure Pass Program are becoming more common across the country, Laws said.
Under the program, library members can receive passes to popular and educational venues like the Milwaukee Art Museum, Discovery World and Above & Beyond Children’s Museum in Sheboygan.
Providing those opportunities, Laws said, is just another way of helping patrons remain lifelong learners.
And that’s just scratching the surface. Oscar Grady is phasing in a Library of Things, Laws said, where members can check out items such as a vinyl record player or yard games for summertime barbecues.
“These (programs) are a reflection of what we’ve heard from our communities,” Laws said.
As of January, the Oscar Grady Library, which is part of the Monarch Library System, had 3,898 registered patrons. More than 64,500 check-outs were recorded in 2022, with 133 programs and events attended by 3,701 people.
The list of services and events continues to grow each year, Laws said, including a new Lego program that kicked off Jan. 10. The library also offers programs for teens and has formed a Teen Advisory Board to help guide those activities.
Laws said programming for adults is also expanding with a financial literacy series and health and wellness series.
She encourages everyone to visit the library, even individuals who have not gone in for years, saying that they might be surprised at what they discover.
Those discoveries include the digital video conversion lab, where outdated mediums like VHS tapes can be transferred onto modern digital discs, and after-hours pickup and home deliveries for families that can’t squeeze a library visit into their hectic schedules.
There are meeting rooms and free online college courses in subjects like science, accounting, self-help and business, she said.
It’s all an effort to make Oscar Grady an inclusive resource for children, teens and adults, Laws said.
Although libraries are shifting resources to better support patrons in the modern world, Laws said Oscar Grady will stay true to its roots.
“The books aren’t going anywhere,” she said.
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