Library as Community Connector

“A library in the middle of a community is a cross between an emergency exit, a life-raft and a festival. They are cathedrals of the mind; hospitals of the soul; theme parks of the imagination. On a cold rainy island, they are the only sheltered public spaces where you are not a consumer, but a citizen instead.” – Caitlin Moran, British writer

Moran’s words beautifully illustrate the many ways that libraries are truly places for the community to connect. Through libraries, individuals and groups can connect with one another, with the community around them, and even with experiences throughout the state. Frankenmuth’s Wickson District Library exemplifies this community connection, and here are just a few of the current examples of that:

• The Michigan Activity Pass is a statewide collaborative program (The Library Network) that library card holders can access at the library. It provides “the opportunity to discover and explore participating cultural destinations, parks, campgrounds and recreation areas in the state at a discounted rate.” You can get free admittance to state parks, free or discounted entry fees to museums like the Marshall M. Frederick’s Sculpture Museum in Saginaw and the Flint Children’s Museum, and much more.

• The READ Program is sponsored by the READ Association of Saginaw County. At Wickson, you can volunteer to be a READ mentor, or you can sign your student up to be a mentee. The program aims to help students improve their reading skills and to increase their enjoyment of reading. What an excellent opportunity to spend about one hour a week from October through April to share the joy and value of reading. If you would like to be a mentor, stop in and sign up!

• Neighboring Week runs September 22 – 27 this year, and Wickson will be part of this community-wide event on Tuesday evening. From 6 – 7 pm at Heritage Park there will be a community bike ride with a stop on the Story Walk. Stay tuned for more information on the Story Walk! The Frankenmuth Stories program that was originally scheduled for Wednesday evening at the library has been postponed, so keep an eye out for updates on that, as well.

• Technology Support is also available for the community thanks to Jen Harden, Adult and Outreach Specialist Librarian. From 10 – 11 am on the first Friday of every month you can drop in at Wickson for Tech @ 10 with Jen to get support on all things techy – cell phones, tablets, email, social media and more. Jen is also offering a Canva class for beginners on Monday, September 15^th at 6:45 (registration required).

These are just a few ways that Wickson is central to our community.

The library is a vehicle for exploration of our state and our neighborhood, a place to connect and help young people grow and learn, and a medium for helping and supporting each other to thrive in this world. Come to the library to be a community citizen and share all that the library has to offer.