By Michele Hardman
When you think of a library, you mainly think of books, right? Libraries have come a long way through the years, and you’ll probably be pleasantly surprised to find out the wide variety of services and resources they offer these days. I know I was. I had the pleasure of chatting recently with Media Relations Director Ashley Burlon and Branch Manager Ann Howard at the Panama City Beach Public Library and learned so much!
For instance, are you having a birthday party for that Star Wars or Disney fan in your family? Before you spend your hard-earned money on a specialty cake pan, check to see if the library has what you need. They likely do. Did you know you can “borrow” these? And where can you find a Ukulele for that island-themed party you’re hosting? Right here at the library! With the wide-open skies at the nearby beaches, this is the perfect place to set up a telescope and view the night sky. You don’t have a telescope? No problem! Just reserve one from the library. These are very popular items here. The staff is excited that they’ve just recently acquired a few sewing machines, too, and these can also be borrowed. If you have something specific you’re interested in and want to see if the library has it, simply go to their website (nwrls.com), click on the “Catalog” tab in the upper right-hand corner, and type the name of your desired item into the search bar.
The Wonder Books are a lifesaver when traveling with young kids. These are children’s iPads that are preloaded with literacy games and stories, and don’t require Wi-Fi to access them. Perfect! Maybe you enjoy working puzzles, but don’t have room at home to store many of them. Browse through the selection here at the PCB Library and check one out instead. Are crafts more your thing? The library hosts Adult Craft Days throughout the year, and also bring in special instructors who come in and teach workshops in the Program Room. The Sea Needles group meets here once a week at 10 a.m. You don’t have to sign up ahead of time, but just come in and work on your own sewing, crochet or knitting projects while you make new friends and socialize. If you’d be interested in sharing a particular skill of yours with others, give Ann Howard a call at the library and discuss your idea with her. Same if you’d like to give a talk or presentation on a particular subject. The library wants to get more and more involved in the community, and they’re doing an awesome job of it with things like this.
Did you know the library has roughly 3,000 digital magazines available along with e-books and audiobooks? And that they occasionally host Bingo, giving away books or other cool prizes? If you need a quiet place to work or do a Zoom meeting, you can reserve the Study Room at the library for a couple of hours… for free. Authors also have the opportunity to rent the meeting room space here to host their own Author Event to promote their latest book. And the next time you need a document notarized, look no further than your Panama City Beach Public Library. One more way to support your local library and get some great bargains at the same time is to shop their ongoing Book Sale area. The money from these sales, and any monetary donations you make, all stays right here in PCB, allowing them to continue to offer these wonderful resources to the public.
See, I knew you’d be surprised—and impressed—with all the helpful things available to you at your local library. Take advantage of this awesome community service. I sure will!
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