Wood River Public Library Director Lindsey Herron and her staff know a library can be more than a place to study or check out the latest best seller.
In their view, the library is a place to learn, engage, and experience. They are working to make it a vibrant and exciting place to explore, whether it be through a book club, building Lego towers, playing with slime, or listening to a lecture about a president.
During her time as director, Herron has worked to increase and improve programming. She and her staff have continued the tradition of classic standby programs, such as a monthly Adult Book Club, while also embracing creative ideas and trends such as a Valentine’s Day-themed Bad Art Night. Herron views these programs as not only a way to engage regular library patrons in new and exciting ways, but as a means to potentially get new families in the doors for the first time. The hope is these families will become lifelong friends of the library.
In March alone, the library will host 16 events, with special emphasis given to Teen Hair and Make Up Night, sponsored by Kristen’s Hair Studio of Wood River. The event at 6 p.m. Monday, March 12, will feature Kristen Meyer, owner of Kristen’s Hair Studio, teaching “quick and easy hairstyles for teen girls to do,” Herron explains. A makeup artist will also be in attendance.
A Wood River police officer will be the guest of honor at Storytime on March 22, reading and speaking to the group.
Other monthly events will take place as usual, including Family Lego Build Day on March 17 and Toddler Tales on March 21.
Herron was also proud to announce they will be starting up a new monthly program — Teen Gamer Club. For this inaugural month, they will play Rock Band.
“I look forward to the opportunity for this program to bring teens into the library that otherwise may not come in and see what it has to offer,” she says.
This program, the brainchild of Assistant Director Brennan Stamps, will be at 6 p.m. Monday, March 26.
Of all the programs and events the library has to offer, the one closest to Herron’s heart is her self-designed and self-run Roll-n-Read Program.
“This program is 100 percent unique, and I don’t know if there’s another library in the country that does a program like this,” she says.
Roll-n-Read, a partnership with Wood River Parks and Recreation, meets at the Wood River Roundhouse at 9 a.m. Tuesdays. The group reads a story, does gymnastics for 20 minutes, and closes with another story. Herron says she’s thrilled with the partnership, as it creates yet another connection with those who may not normally use the library’s facilities or services.
Herron ensures the fun experienced by all in attendance also connects with a learning experience. Each meeting is themed, such as numbers, letters, and colors.
“We try to incorporate a gross motor skill that helps with the learning process. Sometimes they pick something and have to say the letter it starts with or they jump over a certain color or something like that,” she says, describing how she structures the program to be fun and informative.
The programs are open to everyone. A library card or Wood River residency is not required to attend any events and “99 percent of what we offer is free and anything that we have ever charged for, except for yoga, has been a deposit that is returned after the program.”
Yoga, taught by certified instructor Kelly Masinelli, takes place every Wednesday in March and is $5 per session or $15 for all four sessions.
Herron says she’s excited for the future of the Wood River Public Library and its place in the community.
“As we build partnerships in the community, we continue to see more and more people coming to our programs such as Toddler Tales and Storytime,” she says. “I am excited to see what is still yet to come.”
For more information or questions about programming, visit the website or call (618) 254-4832.