By Allyson Dix
For Glasgow News 1
Barren County’s public library director reported a substantial increase in patron involvement during a recent fiscal court meeting.
Ami Sandell, director of the Mary Wood Weldon Memorial Library, said the library has collectively saved patrons about $2.3 million dollars through the use of library items and services during the 2025-26 fiscal year.
Statistics reported for that one-year span include more than 128,000 items borrowed, including physical books, e-books, audiobooks, DVDs, and video games.
More Than Books
The local library offers much more than items that help build literacy and a love for reading, including members’ access to numerous reading and other educational apps, such as Duolingo, an app that teaches dozens of languages spoken across the world.
Aside from services such as computers, printing, scanning, and even free meeting rooms for groups, the library’s most engaging aspects include its programming aimed at all age groups.
Toddler Tuesdays and Fantastic Fridays are for the youngest community members and include storytime, songs, and a variety of hands-on art projects and STEAM activities that help encourage learning and imagination.
Family Time
Lennon Bewley, 3, is excited about her weekly trips to the library with her grandmother, Jamie McAlpin.
On Wednesday, she and Jamie were coloring in the library after participating in the Friday program. Lennon articulated details from a recent STEAM activity she participated in last week called Magic Milk.
“We had a bowl of milk and dish soap, then we dropped in colors and swirled them around,” Lennon said. “Red and blue make purple. Red and yellow make orange.”
Youth ages 5 through 19 can participate in a variety of programs, including a Swap Your Squish, a program where collectors of squishies and fidgets can trade with other collectors while building new friendships. Lego at the Library meets once a month to build a themed creation, cast votes on their favorite design, and the winner receives a prize.
Tweens between the ages of 8 and 12 can participate weekly for many different games, activities, and fun challenges. Earlier this month, tweens created do-it-yourself dumplings, a trending squishy favorite.
VolunTEEN offers ways for teens to earn service hours and build a resume for their futures while Teen Scene allows teens ages 13 through 19 a place for fun, creativity, games, and connection.
The library also allows for teens to simply relax and hang out with friends in an environment where they have access to not only books, but also a quiet place to complete homework or play board games.
Adults can find many services and books on the bottom floor of the Mary Wood Weldon Memorial Library. Allyson Dix/For Glasgow News 1
Community Programming
Each week, the library keeps its programming fresh, introducing new activities and keeping them relevant to the different age groups.
Adults can also find a variety of programs to get involved in at the library, from Chair Yoga and Painting to music trivia and cardmaking classes.
Summer programs are perhaps the library’s largest events of the year, while also offering seasonal events, such as October’s Halloween Costume Drive. Donations are now being accepted and those looking for a costume can browse the selection for a unique costume starting on Oct. 21.
Each week, the library offers Homeschool Hangout for homeschooling families, including mini-lessons, experiments, and interactive activities.
Sandell said 939 individuals under the age of 19 registered for its annual reading program, a major increase from 241 people in the previous year. The reading logs submitted also substantially increased from 381 to 1,055 last year.
“In the past several years, our youth services manager and teen/tween programmer have been really involved in pushing to get more different age groups into the library,” Sandell said. “This year, we went to several different schools to help sign up youth members. Once they are signed up for these programs, they get excited about it.”
Sandell said the increase helps the library expand its efforts to promote literacy among the youth.
“The sooner they come into these programs, the more sooner they get that base for literacy,” Sandell said, emphasizing that those early years of infant and preschool story times are critical in helping children learn to read.
She also said the programs help teach parents and grandparents how to teach their children to read.
Literacy rates increase and more children find a passion for reading when they are involved in programs such as those the library offers, Sandell said.
Library Friends
In addition to the library’s staff, Friends of the Library is a nonprofit chapter of the Friends of Kentucky Libraries provides volunteers to help with both logistics and fundraisers.
Last year, the local Friends of the Library donated $6,128 to the local library and $1,500 to the Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library, a program that mails free books to children from birth until they start school.
The largest fundraising events that Friends of the Library hosts each year include their Chocolate Around the World event and two major book sales, one in the spring and one in the fall. Readers can find a variety of books for a much lower cost than retail prices.
This month, Brenda Bush was announced as the recipient of the Outstanding Friends of Libraries Award given by the Friends of Kentucky Libraries, frecognizing her ongoing hard work and dedication to the library and the Friends of the Library.
“Friends of the Library are some of our biggest advocates,” Sandell said of the group.
With their advocacy and volunteer work, additional funding helps the library offer more programs and meet other needs. Last year, Sandell said some of their donations were used for new furniture for the youth play area, and those donations also helped implement and sustain the library’s homeschool program.
Books in the youth section of the Mary Wood Weldon Memorial Library offer a variety of options to help promote early literacy. Allyson Dix/For Glasgow News 1
Library Funding
Public libraries are funded mostly through property taxes, as well as through potential grants and donations.
This fiscal year, Mary Wood Weldon Memorial Library is operating on a $1,193,300 budget to provide such services for the communities of Barren County. A majority of those costs help fund new books and provide maintenance to the library facility.
“We work hard to do as much as we can with the income that we get,” Sandell said. “I feel like we offer a lot to the community.”
During her tenure, Sandell said she has seen firsthand the increased involvement and improved literacy among patrons, noting that the story time programs were split into two sessions because of increased attendance.
“All of our library staff are trained and consistent in continuing education,” Sandell said, adding that half of the full-time employees hold a mster’s degree in Library Science while the others are working towards it.
Sandell said the library staff love seeing how much patrons enjoy their visits.
“Not only does that help us in a literal way with our statistics, but it keeps us mindful of the impact that we are making so when we hear people come in and say they love the library, it helps us to be able to support our community better.”
It takes a village to effectively operate the library, including its staff, board of directors, and volunteers.
“All of them are very involved in advocacy and our staff are very passionate about their jobs,” Sandell said. “They all love what they do and they’re very good at what they do.”
Sandell said she is grateful for the community and local government for their ongoing support and sustainability of Barren County’s public library.
For more information on the Mary Wood Weldon Memorial Library and all it offers, visit https://weldonpubliclibrary.org or stop by 1530 South Green Street, Glasgow.
