Clinton County Public Library, like many libraries today, is more than a place to borrow books or use a public computer. In addition to its more traditional functions, the library is a place that fosters learning in children, engages the community, and preserves local history.

Sitting down with library director Gayla Duvall during the library’s Open House on April 9, the NEWS learned about how they achieved the rank of number 4 in the state for Children’s Program Attendance per capita, as well as some activities the library has planned, and some little-known resources they offer.

Living in Clinton County, it is hard to miss the number of events the library sponsors or participates in. At each of these events, CCPL gives out a free book to every child who attends. This form of community outreach is particularly important for the future of Clinton County, because there is a strong correlation between the number of books a child has access to in their home and their overall academic success.

In order to engage children and allow them to develop positive associations with the library, Duvall and the library staff participate in a wide variety of community events, rather than simply sticking to the library and their own events and relying on children to come to them. This allows them to reach the children where the children are, in a fun and positive atmosphere, and increases overall participation in their children’s programs.

Duvall provided the NEWS with a list of upcoming events, including a booth at Relay for Life on April 19, a booth at Clinton County Middle School’s Spring Carnival on April 27, and a booth at the Foothills Festival in October. She also mentioned that planning for the annual summer program is in full swing. During the summer program, which is on Mondays, Tuesday, Wednesdays, and Fridays, the library will be offering breakfast at 8:30 a.m., as well as the lunch that is served in conjunction with the 11 a.m. program. In addition to the free food, children can receive a free book every day that they visit the library during the summer program.

On June 18, Kentucky Down Under will be visiting the library. That program will be held at 11 a.m. for the children and again at 5 p.m. for the general public. On July 26, CCPL is hosting its annual end-of-summer blowout event. This huge event is the culmination of the library’s summer program, offering food, prizes, school supplies, fun activities and, of course, a free book for every kid.

The library also hosts a number of events around the holidays, including Halloween and Christmas events. It often partners with other community organizations to host events such as Spring into Health and the Pumpkin Walk.

Clinton County Public Library also offers programs and events for adults. Duvall shared a few of these with the NEWS, including adult coloring (the next meeting is April 23 at 5 p.m.), monthly cooking classes (April 30 at 5 p.m.), the adult book club (this month they are reading Darkness, My Old Friend by Lisa Unger), and adult crafting. The library will also be hosting a Showcase of Crafters and Vendors on May 7.

For those interested in the history of Clinton County, the library offers a couple of interesting and little-known resources. They have been working to post some past editions of The New Era, Clinton County News, and The Wayne County Outlook online. Some editions of The New Era from 1920 – 1955, Clinton County News from 1954 – 1977, and The Wayne County Outlook from 1904 – 2016 are available to the public on the Clinton County Public Library website under the Resources tab.

Duvall also showed the NEWS some flash drives she has, which contain old recordings of past residents of Clinton County. Included in these recordings are personal stories and memories about this area that these individuals wanted to share. Duvall said that some of these recordings can be copied, and others cannot, but all of them are an irreplaceable resource when it comes to learning about the people of Clinton County.

For those who want to borrow e-books, audiobooks, and digital magazines, Clinton County Library participates in Kentucky Libraries Unbound. Simply go to https://kyunbound.overdrive.com/, click Sign In, select Clinton County Public Library from the drop-down menu, and enter your library card number and last name. From there you can browse all of the ebooks, audiobooks, and magazines available at every participating library in the state. If you would prefer to easily browse this selection on your smartphone, Overdrive offers an app called Libby. After downloading the Libby app, you can log on using your library card information. Then you can read or listen to any ebook or audiobook you check out. Loans automatically return on their due date, so there is no need to worry about late fees.

The Clinton County Library has come a long way since its humble origins as a little green bookmobile. It now ranks 7th in the state for book circulation per capita and 4th for children’s program attendance per capita. Clinton County Public Library is an invaluable resource in our community, and as they say, you never know what you will find at the public library!