THE MAGIC WITHIN

With endless bookshelves, welcoming staff members, and free weekly events, the Barrington Area Library is a magical place where seven days a week the community can unite in the pursuit of new ideas and shared experiences. As an extensive renovation begins, longtime library employee Karen McBride looks forward to “a new page” for this local treasure.

McBride has been the Barrington Area Library Public Information Manager for 12 years. In this role, she communicates with the broader public through the library’s website and by creating engaging social media posts for Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. “The Barrington Library is a very special place that serves a surrounding community of 47,000 people across 72 miles,” McBride observes.

Although her background is in English literature and she holds a Master of Library and Information Science, managing the library’s expansive digital resources requires McBride to delve into marketing, public relations, and graphic design.

McBride notes that the 84-person library staff prides itself on innovation and strives for continuous improvement. Thus, technology has been embraced over the last few years. In turn, robust programming— ranging from live music to the very popular weekly story times to a Seed Library—demonstrates a commitment to providing personal and meaningful encounters.

Post-pandemic, the library reports cross-generational increases in attendance, circulation, and use of resources. For example, local teenagers have begun to book private rooms to study with their friends, especially during high school exams. Meanwhile, senior citizens come in with their iPads to use eBooks and digital magazines.

“This is a place you would want to come to with your family,” explains McBride. “We have learning experiences for people of all ages.”

Over the next six months, the library will undergo a renovation that will only widen its already broad appeal. Creatives will delight in the updated MakerLab with 3D printers and other technology. Doers will relish the expanded “Library of Things” that contains nontraditional library items available to check out.

“Customers are asking for anything from a sewing machine to ukuleles, cameras, telescopes, garden tools, etc.,” says McBride. “We want to provide some of those things for people to borrow.” The prospect of the new “Baby Garden,” a space where infants and toddlers can safely play, is being applauded by staff and parents alike.

The library will remain open during the project—a fact that attests to its vital role in everyday life. McBride urges library patrons to continue to visit and use existing resources during this exciting transformation—one that will allow the magic to shine even brighter.

For more information, visit balibrary.org.