Libraries seeking partnership opportunities
Every day, Botetourt County Libraries seek out opportunities to partner with organizations in the community. One such organization is the Botetourt Family YMCA in Daleville.
Our relationship began before the YMCA was completed. A meeting between the YMCA director and one of our librarians shed light on what each organization brought to the table as well as the needs of both. Many things overlapped (meeting spaces, children’s activities, educational programming) but the thing that stuck out the most was the missions and visions of these organizations. Our want to create and support a thriving community that is happy, healthy, educated and curious sealed the deal on future collaborations.
We got the green light to start with Storytimes in the Stay & Play area every Friday morning. Many of you probably saw our librarians through the windows hopping around on one foot, making monkey sounds and shaking their maracas. Not only did they have a great time, but this was a perfect opportunity for us to reach children and families we didn’t already see in our libraries. We provided an early literacy program for their children and were able to introduce them to other services we provide.
When it came time for the annual Children’s Day, the library was, of course, eager to be involved. We had participated for several years already, but this was the first time the event would be held on YMCA property. We worked with organizers to create a Story Walk for families to enjoy as they made their way to the Addy Grace Playground. Families enjoyed it so much, we were able to keep it up for a few weeks afterwards. We were also able to bring our Bookmobile to the festivities so families could check out books as well as get information about our libraries. The event was a huge success and provided the community a family fun time where they also learned about services in the community while supporting local vendors.
While we had to pause on some programming due to COVID-19, that didn’t stop the budding relationship between the libraries and the YMCA. The library now has a presence on the YMCA board. We are able to get a deeper understanding of YMCA goals and how our partnership can grow even stronger.
Through lots of discussion, both organizations saw the need to make access to library materials more convenient for the community. We couldn’t just build a new facility with the snap of our fingers. But with some thought and creative thinking on both parts we were able to come up with a working solution. The Botetourt Family YMCA agreed to be a satellite pickup facility for our library patrons. Anyone with a Roanoke Valley Library Card (which includes Botetourt County, Roanoke County, Roanoke City and Salem) can now pick up or drop off their library materials in our designated “Libr@rY” area.
We’re so grateful to the Botetourt Family YMCA for partnering with us in our mutual mission to help our community grow and thrive!
Botetourt County Public Libraries
