Customer Story: Clarksville-Montgomery County Public Library
Clarksville, Tennessee ranks number one in Money magazine’s “100 Best Places to Live 2019.” Unlike other big cities in the US, an affordable meal costs a maximum of $12, small businesses are a big part of the community, and millennials can afford to buy a house. Jobs are on the horizon with companies such as LG and Google. It’s a great place to plant roots for young, emerging adults.
Business owners and newlyweds can look forward to all these perks, along with the city’s established institutions such as the Clarksville-Montgomery Country Public Library.
The Clarksville-Montgomery County Public Library provides the Clarksville, Tennessee community access to books and other educational tools. Since it was opened in September 1894 at the office of a local judge, the library has become a state-of-the-art facility that continues to meet the local community’s needs.
David Brockman, the public library’s communications director, told us more about the services the organization provides to the people of Clarksville and Montgomery counties.
A Public Service
The Clarksville-Montgomery County Public Library is the only one of its kind in the area. David says that the other options are a university, school, and the Fort Campbell military installation library.
He explains the county’s library “provides so much more than books to guests. To get the types, level, and quantity of library programs and services we offer for free, one would need to travel south 45 minutes to Nashville.”
The public library also offers a wide range of activities. David said that they offer everything “from adult computer classes, DIY programs, story times, LEGO days to movie nights—all these along with many more online options are all free to library cardholders.”
Their online programs include the Tumblebook Library, an online database of animated and talking picture books or Tumblebooks for elementary schools and public libraries.
Tumblebooks are existing picture books enhanced with animation, sound, music, and narration to teach kids the joy of reading.
From adult computer classes, DIY programs, story times, LEGO days to movie nights--all these along with many more online options are all free to library card holders.” – David Brockman, Clarksville-Montgomery Country Public Library Click To TweetExpanding Reading and Learning Opportunities
The library also provides e-book access through its R.E.A.D.S. digital collection. Anyone with a library card can log in and borrow an e-Book or audio book of their choice. R.E.A.D.S is part of the library’s adaption to technology and information access. According to David, this not only allows them to “stay in tune with the latest trends, but also allows the patrons to know that their library will have what they need regardless of the method of delivery.”
Clarksville-Montgomery also offers over 500 online classes that cover everything from yoga, algebra, to Adobe Photoshop. Click To Tweet
Clarksville-Montgomery also offers over 500 online classes that cover everything from yoga and algebra, to Adobe Photoshop under the Universal Class program. Students can get Continuing Education credits, take a refresher course or learn something completely new. Some of the popular courses among library cardholders are DIY and home improvement.
David told us how one father took a class to help his daughter with her math homework:
“He logged into Universal Class with his library card and was able to take the same math course as his daughter, which helped him to help her with school work.”
Increasing Community Engagement
The Clarksville-Montgomery Library celebrated its 125th anniversary with a showcase of their history and future plans.
Most Clarksville and Montgomery residents assume the library only offers books. So the library is taking a more direct approach in promoting what else they have to offer:
“We visit schools, assisted living centers, local restaurants, and more—all with the goal of telling others about what we can do,” David said.
They also actively participate in social channels and are looking to create a podcast.
The library also celebrated its 125th anniversary with a daylong event that showcased the history and future plans. PrintPlace produced four retractable banners that displayed this story for attendees to see. According to David, the “banners were the most talked-about display that day.”
Brochures were also created to promote the library’s different online programs and resources. Distributing and displaying them helped reach the community, as they were placed all over town, in places one wouldn’t expect to find brochures.
More people took the brochures after they were released and displayed in different areas. People were also asking for more information about the programs mentioned in the brochure, such as the R.E.A.D.S and Tumblebook Library programs.
The Perks of Professional Printing
The brochure sports an easy-to-read design that presents the library’s offerings in an appealing manner. David describes that “the new brochures are a dramatic step from the prior ones.” He hopes that the new look and feel will compel a patron to read or take one for a new resident to check out.
David appreciated the quality and service that came with the brochure:
“PrintPlace’s online process is easy to use. The items arrive when promised or even a day or two early. Whenever there has been a need to call the customer service line, they have been outstanding and go above and beyond to make sure the item is accurate and of the highest quality.”
Curious about the Clarksville-Montgomery County Library? Check out their website or follow them on Facebook for the latest updates.
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Angela’s first love is food but her second love will always be the written word. She loves discovering new ways to tell stories and reads everything from YA to memoirs. Her time away from words is spent either with her three dogs or catching up on her favorite Netflix shows.