Do you need the services of a Notary?  Do you enjoy jigsaw puzzles?  Need a legal form?  Would you like to learn about 3-D printing?  

 

That and more are available at the Bridgeport Public Library.  I have to confess I haven’t spent much time in libraries since my children were young.  However, after being elected to Bridgeport City Council, I have made it a point to visit the Bridgeport Public Library frequently.  Each time I do, I leave more impressed with the library, its services, and its staff.  

 

Growing up, libraries were just endless shelves of books and maybe a few magazines and newspapers.  That is no longer the case.  At the Bridgeport Public Library, in addition to books, you can check out jigsaw puzzles, board games, videos, music CDs, audiobooks, etc.  A large selection of magazines and newspapers is also available onsite.  Free public Wi-Fi is afforded to visitors.  Newly installed, up-to-date computers for research and online browsing are up and running.  Not to mention the availability of low-cost printing/copying/faxing and free notary services for patrons.  These resources and services are carefully curated and managed by our knowledgeable and gracious staff, who are always available to help you find exactly what you need.  

 

However, that is just the beginning.  The library staff provides a range of activities and classes to its patrons of all ages.  They offer Little Learners for toddlers through classes on computer coding and 3-D printing.  There is something for almost everyone; family movie showings, painting classes, writers’ workshops, crafting, sign language class, club meetings, author talks, and more.  There is so much that I can’t keep track of it all.  Fortunately, the Bridgeport Public Library’s jam-packed website (www.bplwv.org) keeps track of its scheduled offerings.  Additionally, Connect-Bridgeport features a library blog, “Off the Shelf,” written by our Library Director, Savanna Draper, highlighting upcoming events at the library.

 

Perhaps you can’t make it out to the library.  Not a problem.  The library’s new electric Ford E-Transit van allows them to venture outside the building and provide expanded outreach services throughout the city.  I have witnessed the library staff at the Bridgeport Farmers Market and the Meadowbrook Mall interacting with community members, signing up new patrons, and promoting the library.  They also visit local nursing homes, assisted living facilities, long-term care facilities, and retirement homes to provide residents with most of the same items you or I can check out from the library in person.  Most of the same books and materials can also be delivered to our homebound community members by contacting the library staff.

 

Or you can bring the library directly into your home with its extensive online resources.  It’s no secret that I like technology, and from what I see, the Bridgeport Public Library has actively embraced the digital age.  The eResources page (https://www.bplwv.org/eresources-10701) on the library's website is filled with valuable materials.  The library provides access to WVDeli, SalemPress, and Hoopla for eBooks. There is also unlimited streaming on Freegal Music, which hosts 16 million songs and millions of albums.  There is a wealth of information available on subjects including but not limited to; health, science, history, legal forms, online courses, career guidance, finances, and more.  These online services are provided free by the library to its patrons through partnerships with other libraries and agencies across the state and country.  

 

Like me, if you haven’t been to the library in a long time, you may want to consider returning.  Today’s Bridgeport Public Library barely resembles the libraries I grew up with.  When Michael Benedum founded the Bridgeport Library in 1956 in the Benedum Civic Center, he couldn’t have imagined the changes and advances in the ensuing decades.  Neither could the citizens and businesses of Bridgeport, who raised the $1.3 million to purchase and create the new library on Johnson Avenue in 1994.  

 

So, “Why Bridgeport?”  Against the odds, the community came together in 1994 to bring a new library to our community.  Once completed, we could have sat back and congratulated ourselves on that accomplishment.  Instead, our past and present library directors, the Bridgeport Public Library Board, Bridgeport City Council, city staff, and our citizens have been committed to moving forward to provide the city with the best possible library.  They and the community have stayed true to that mission since 1956 and still do today.  

 

Stop by the Bridgeport Public Library and see for yourself.

 

Editor's Note: Top photo shows Library Director Savanna Draper, while one of the library's many unique collections - board games and puzzles - is shown in the second photo. Bottom photo is the exterior of the Johnson Avenue facility.