Over the last few months, a team of staff members at the Delaware County District Library have been working closely with our cardholders, community, staff, Board of Trustees, and other community partners, organizations and agencies to learn more about how we can better serve you.

Throughout our conversations, we have learned a lot! Primarily, just as unique as each of our patrons are, so are your expectations and uses of the library. Some folks have never heard of our Maker Studios, and some use it regularly. Some users only ever download eBooks, while others won’t pick up anything other than a physical book. Over the next few weeks, I’ll be taking this column back to the basics and highlighting some of the day-to-day things that we do at the Delaware County District Library.

This week, we’ll begin with communications. If you’re reading this, you’re already doing great! Our Library Communications Department has many ways that we reach out to our community. From press releases and print publications to social media and emails, we have a lot of ways that we try to keep the public informed of what’s happening at the library. This is because not every person receives information in the same way.

Starting with print materials, every three months the library produces a printed newsletter called “Check it Out.” We list every program coming up for the season, highlight the activities our Friends of the Library are doing, feature an online resource, offer early literacy tips and review books. Anyone can pick up a “Check it Out” when they visit their nearest branch. They’re always located by the front desk. When you stop in, you may also see printed flyers for upcoming classes or events at the library. These are easy to grab and take home to place on the family calendar or to scan the QR code for registration.

Next, we have many robust communications coming to our patrons via email campaigns! Since about 2018, when a person signs up for their DCDL library card, they will receive a series of “Welcome” emails, introducing them to the system and teaching them some of the basics of DCDL. As a library, we never want to overwhelm your inbox, which is why we have several additional email opportunities that you can opt into, so you can hear from your library as often (or not) as you’d like. These include a weekly email that lists every single upcoming event for the next seven days, a monthly email for our patrons ages 55 and older, a monthly email for our pre-K children, emails as needed about upcoming author visits, and a brand new series just for kids entering kindergarten! Find all of these at www.delawarelibrary.org/member-update and sign up for what interests you.

Speaking of the website – this is one of the best places to find information about the library! It’s always up-to-date and features more than just books. At www.delawarelibrary.org anyone can discover additional resources and services or scroll down the page a little to click through the latest news and updates at the library. Just a bit further down, the events for the day are highlighted, and with one click you can see all the events in an easy-to-read, -sort, and -filter calendar. You can even use the search bar to look for subjects that interest you like the library app, veterans resources or printing.

The library has an active presence on social media that we’d love for you to see. We have a variety of content that you can currently explore on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, and LinkedIn, and content that still lives on our past social media channels. This week, you’ll find an adorable photo of kids looking at the phases of an eclipse at the Liberty Branch, our opening status regarding the storms from last week, and a fun video of Mr. George warming up the bagpipes for his St. Patrick’s Day storytime. Last month, we had tons of engagement from our community members with questions for our strategic planning process. Every Friday, we post a general “What are you reading?” question that gives great reading recommendations for your To-Read list!

Finally, traditional media outlets are still very much a resource for the library to communicate with the public. Every week, I am proud to write this column for the Delaware Gazette. I also regularly host a weekly radio show on WDLR 96.7 FM with DCDL Deputy Director Molly Meyers LaBadie. We’re on air live each Friday at 9 a.m. for 30 minutes to discuss the latest things happening at the library with a guest. That radio show is also turned into a weekly podcast, accessible on your favorite podcast platform by searching for “Off the Shelf with Delaware Library.” It can also be viewed live on the My 96.7 Facebook page.

I look forward to the next few weeks with this “Back to the Basics” theme, and I hope to teach you something new in the process.

If you have a question that you would like to see answered in this column, mail it to Nicole Fowles, Delaware County District Library, 84 E. Winter St., Delaware, OH 43015, or call us at 740-362-3861. You can also email your questions by visiting the library’s web site at www.delawarelibrary.org or directly to Nicole at [email protected]. No matter how you contact us, we’re always glad you asked!