For the Love of Libraries

By Mary Casey-Sturk

In recent years, the local library has become increasingly important to the community it serves. From borrowing books, to reserving a study room, to attending a program-there are many ways people use the library today.  In my childhood, we would take a bus to our closest branch, the main library in Covington. For me, it was a building packed with wonder, full of books that my grandmother would help me check out, mainly about horses. My love of libraries started there and remains today.

The Campbell County Public Library is my go-to library these days, particularly Fort Thomas’ Carrico Branch. With other branches in Alexandria, Cold Spring, and Newport, today’s library provides many programs and resources for the community.

Library patrons can check out books, movies, music, and more as well as use a computer, reserve a study room, make copies, scan, send faxes, and at a Carrico, youngsters and the young at heart can venture outside to create some music in a unique play space. The Carrico Branch’s popular Art After Hours takes place every summer.

Fort Thomas Living Magazine reached out to the staff of the library to learn more about programs, their fondest memories and more.

Danielle Heiert is the Adult/Teen Services Programmer at the Cold Spring Branch. She shares the programs she runs, “I currently run a mystery and crime book club at the Cold Spring branch called Cup of Crime. We meet once per month on the second Wednesday of each month. Our current group is a really fun bunch, we always have great discussions! It’s interesting when some people really enjoyed a book while others didn’t; those are the best discussions, in my opinion. There are lots of great book clubs at each branch, and they are always welcoming new members!”

“My favorite programs to run are crafts, and I’ve recently started incorporating resin into my programs! I have done bookmarks and polyhedral dice sets (for tabletop role-playing games such as Dungeons & Dragons). Mackenzie was able to get some awesome pictures from those programs!”

“Many people may not realize that the library does programming all year long, not just during summer reading! Each branch has dedicated programming staff for all ages, so there is always something going on!”

Library memories. “I have always loved Campbell County Public Library. Growing up, I was always a big reader, and my mom brought my brothers and I to the Cold Spring branch at least weekly! Now I work in the branch where I spent so much time growing up, and I get to lead all kinds of programs for everyone in the community. Whenever either of my parents come to one of my programs, they are treated like celebrities!” Heiert continues, “I started my professional relationship with CCPL in 2013 as a freshman in high school when I worked with our previous director, JC Morgan, to install Little Libraries around Campbell County for my Girl Scout Gold Award project. I was formally hired as a part-time Patron Services Assistant in 2017 and moved into my current role as the Adult/Teen Services Programmer at Cold Spring in 2021.”

“One of my favorite memories of the library is from a program I held in February of 2023 as part of our Level Up with the Library, which was the Percy Jackson-themed Camp Half-Blood Training Day. The Percy Jackson books have always been my favorite, and I was so excited to host this program! I had all kinds of blue foods, which is a running joke throughout the series, and I was nervous that I wouldn’t have many attendees since the registration had been a bit lower than I expected. When I opened the doors of the meeting room to let teens into the event, there were teens in orange Camp Half-Blood shirts as far as I could see! There were TRIPLE the amount of teens that registered, and we had a blast! It was so awesome to see so many teens as excited about my favorite books as I was. That will always be one of my favorite memories.” 

Chantelle M. Phillips, Library Director, shares thoughts on libraries today: “Having worked in libraries for nearly 25 years, I continue to witness, year after year, how libraries are an essential place in people’s lives. For some, we are their technology center providing them with access to computers, printers, copiers, scanners, and a dependable internet connection. For others, we are their entertainment venue with movies to watch, music to listen to, magazines to browse and books to take you away. Libraries are also the place where people go to connect with others as they attend events and classes, meet others with similar interests in groups using our meeting rooms or find a new friend while browsing the shelves or reading a newspaper.”

Phillips continues, “Students and remote workers come to libraries to use our study rooms and quiet areas while also utilizing subscription databases for research and our WIFI routers to connect to their schools, companies, or customers. Preschoolers come with their caregivers to learn essential skills to prepare for kindergarten and beyond. Families come for fun activities, to learn together, and to experience the wonders of the world through free visits from art and educational organizations. In fact, libraries provide access to knowledge well beyond formal schooling and teach technology skills that are ever-changing. Want to learn photography? Your library may offer a class or have a subscription to an online resource that teaches photography. Need to improve your computer skills or want to learn more about online security? Librarians can teach you. Struggling with a website or an online form? Let a librarian help you figure it out. “

Stephanie Daugherty, who works at the Newport Branch, shares, “I’m not sure if it qualifies more as a program or a service, but I absolutely love the Libby app! It’s perfect for those days where I just want to sit around and read but I know there are things I have to get done (chores, errands, etc.) – just download an audiobook from Libby and before I know it I’ve read half of a book and folded all of my laundry I seem to struggle with keeping my attention on podcasts but not with audiobooks, so Libby is also perfect for keeping me entertained on long car rides or if I’m home by myself all day and the silence starts driving me nuts.” 

Daugherty shares more about her job, “Something I love about my role here at the library is getting to figure out where exactly each book is supposed to live, especially with nonfiction titles. I love a good puzzle and sometimes figuring out Dewey classifications can feel like a crossword clue with two (sometimes more) possible answers. Getting to put on my (imaginary) detective hat and comb through subject headings, online Dewey resources, and similar titles in our own and other library catalogs is something I find really fun, and it’s always super satisfying figuring out where I believe a particular book should be cataloged.”

On her favorite memories, “When I was little, my hometown library had this giant rainbow-colored turtle bean bag in the children’s area that was the coziest thing in the world. It was tucked between a bookshelf and a big window that let in lots of natural light – visible enough for my mom so she always knew where I was but hidden away enough for me where I felt like I was in a secret hideout. I loved collecting a big stack of books I was interested in checking out and then curling up right in the middle of its shell to look through each one and decide if it was coming home with me that week.” 

“Another favorite memory is simply how wonderful the library was at feeding whatever obsessions my brothers and I had (ha ha). Whether it was devouring a particular series (Warrior Cats, Geronimo Stilton, The Boxcar Children, Disney Fairies, to name a few) or providing us with more information on our newest creative endeavors (writing stories, building forts, drawing Pokemon, DIY-ing clothes), the library was a treasure trove for us growing up and I am truly grateful for it.”

A Space for All

“Increasingly, libraries provide that space where you can sit and read or just enjoy the comfort of our spaces and merely ponder. You do not need a library card to use our buildings nor to attend events and classes. All you have to do is show up. Alright, we do require that you treat all others in the library with courtesy, but we do not require you to buy anything nor do we limit your time spent with us — and, for your mere presence, we offer so much in return.”  Says Phillips.

Mercede Maschinot is the Adult Outreach Librarian and she shares, “As the adult outreach librarian, I provide library services to those who aren’t able to visit the library due to temporary or permanent illness or disability. I bring the library to people wherever they are, whether that’s at adult day care facilities, retirement living homes, transitional care facilities, or at home. Everyone enrolled in these services receives home deliveries with library materials based on their interests. I also partner with activity directors at facilities and residential homes, to provide monthly activities and library materials. Recently, I’ve brought music bingo, Jeopardy, and decade parties to the groups I visit. Providing these services to groups who aren’t able to visit the library makes what I do feel very interpersonal and impactful.”

A fond memory, “In high school, I volunteered at Campbell County Public Library’s signature series events.” Maschinot shares her love for libraries goes back to childhood, “When I was a little girl, I always wanted to be a librarian when I grew up. Like a lot of people who hadn’t seen what libraries looked like behind the scenes, I thought being surrounded by books was the best part of being a librarian. I wanted to organize books on the shelf and read them all day. But when I started working at the library, I realized librarians aren’t reading books all day.”

“Librarians are using compassion and creativity to prioritize our community through programs, services, and materials. Behind the scenes, librarians are researching early literacy to improve their story times, preparing for technology training, or ordering the latest movie that you’ve been wanting to watch. Working at the library alongside innovative and collaborative people has helped me step out of my comfort zone and gradually become a better version of myself every year. It may not be a specific memory, but a blend of memories that seem meaningless in the moment and end up shaping you into who you are.”

To learn more about the Campbell County Public Library, visit www.cc-pl.org