National Library Week (April 3 to 9) is an invitation to get better acquainted with your local library. Our real estate agents know that there are many reasons why residents love calling the Corvallis and Albany area home. If you are an avid reader who is new to the area, you will love frequenting the several locations in the Corvallis-Benton County Public Library system. So before you begin your next literary adventure, here's what you need to know!

The Basics 

The Corvallis-Benton County Public Library system includes four different branches: Alsea, Corvallis, Monroe, and Philomath. Members of any one branch can borrow from any of the others with the same library card. For those who can't make regular trips to their local library, they also offer service through their Bookmobile that circulates through regions of Benton County. This includes the part of Albany that belongs to Benton County. 

The Bookmobile isn't the only thing readers will love visiting in the Albany area. Thanks to the Albany Public Library, residents of Albany have two branches they can stop at. The main location is on 14th Avenue, and their second location is in the Albany Monteith Historic District. This library system offers many of the same benefits as the Corvallis-Benton County Public Library system.

Members can borrow a variety of items from any of these locations, including books, audiobooks, music, movies, and even tools like projectors and button makers. They can also access digital content through free BookFlix, Overdrive, CloudLibrary, LinkedIn Learning, and Kanopy subscriptions using their library ID. 

For Adults 

In addition to its vast collection of books, the library also hosts many programs and resources for Benton County residents.  

Avid readers will enjoy taking part in some of the library's six different book clubs, including a graphic novel club and a club exclusively for seniors. Each group meets every month or so to discuss their latest read with other members. Discussions can get very lively, so be sure to bring your sharpest observations and theories to the table.  

If you have a free afternoon, you can try out one of the crafts in the library's online resource collection. These boredom busters will walk you through exciting crafts like marble runs, paper baskets, and even smartphone speakers. Just download and print the instructions from your computer and get to work.  

For Kids 

If you have any young readers in your life, you'll be happy to hear that the library has plenty in store for them.   

Just like adults, kids can attend a variety of book clubs to talk about what they've read with their peers. Children's clubs are divided by age: your child will be invited to the Tweens, Kids, or First Readers book club, depending on which category they fall into. In some cases, their reading level may factor into this decision.  

There are also some exciting activities available for children who are still learning to read. One of the library's most popular offerings is the Reading Education Assistance Dog program (READ for short). The program offers young children the chance to build their reading skills by reading aloud to a canine companion. Each session provides one individual child with 10 minutes of reading time with a trained dog and their handler.  

If your child isn't ready to read on their own, however, they might prefer the 20-minute story time sessions run by the library staff instead. These sessions feature fun, dramatic readings of short stories as well as songs and rhymes meant to stimulate children's developing brains. Storytime is offered multiple times a day, but families must register in advance to get a spot at each reading.  

Benton County's exceptional library system is just one of the many appealing aspects of life in this area. Contact us today to learn more about the many stunning properties we have available in this region and see if any of them might be the right one for you.