Cullman County Public Library brings community together

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Cullman County Public Library System Circulation Manger Laura Benton checks out library books to sisters Sadie (right) and Hadley (left) Midland on Tuesday, Sept. 5, 2023. (Tribune file photo)

CULLMAN, Ala.–  A public library is a place for imagination to take flight, knowledge to take root and a sense of adventure to flourish. Inside a library, the mundane tasks of the everyday world can seem light years away, as if the words of an author can open a portal to another dimension – the dimension of imagination.

The Cullman County Public Library System (CCPLS) is a resource available to residents of Cullman County, ensuring that community members from every walk of life and corner of the county are never denied the ability to be enveloped into a world of words, allowing them travels and schooling – all without leaving their hometowns.

The main branch of the CCPLS hosts activities weekly and nearly daily, in an effort to increase community usage and involvement. A library card grants residents access to the internet, games, educational resources and news archives as well as a large collection of literary works.

“We want the community to know we are more than just books, although we have a passion for reading and life-long learning. In addition to books, we have thousands of DVDs, music CDs, books on CD, pickleball kits, disc golf sets and musical instruments for check-out. We have school readiness kits for preschoolers available to check out in our Easy Reader room, along with Hooked on Phonics kits and educational Launchpads for kids, ages 3 to 10,” said CCPLS Circulation Manager Laura Benton. “In addition to all of the above, we have a Special Collections room that patrons can do historical and genealogical research in. We offer Ancestry.com access at the library for conducting research. We have a collection of newspapers on microfilm dating back to the 1940s for The Cullman Tribune and The Cullman Times. We also have a sizable collection of yearbooks from surrounding schools in the county.”

The library is headed into the new age, picking up more technological items and games for the younger generation to enjoy, adding video games, movies and music to its catalog of available items; if technology is daunting and confusing, the library has a solution for that problem, as well. Its Borrow a Librarian program does just that, allowing a patron to borrow a librarian to help navigate technology.

“For those who are not technologically savvy, we offer a service called Borrow a Librarian. Patrons can set an appointment for up to 45 minutes one-on-one time with a librarian to learn everything from computer basics, to setting up an e-mail, to troubleshooting smartphones and iPads,” said Benton. “We can also help patrons navigate our two e-book and audiobook apps, Libby and Hoopla.”

The main branch of the CCPLS is located at 200 Clark St. in Cullman. It is open Monday through Friday from 9 a.m.- 6 p.m. and Saturdays from 9 a.m.-1 p.m.

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