Public Library:
Culpeper County Library
Pictures taken by: Charlene S. Nibblins 7/21/2022
The Culpeper County Public Library was built in 1926. The Public library is in the Southgate Shopping Center off Business Route 29 Madison Road. The signage on the building can be seen from the four-lane highway. It is easy to reach but traffic can be heavy at certain times of the day due to all the store front shops like a Home Medical store, Family Dollar, Subway and Gold’s Gym. The entrance to the building is easily accessible for the public with a push button for the disabled and those using wheelchairs. The space is open and well organized with a vast collection of materials such as local history, children’s and much more using the Dewey Decimal system.
Pictures taken by: Charlene S. Nibblins 7/21/2022
The Culpeper County Library’s mission is to serve the public while providing friendly and knowledgeable staff. The library will remain relevant by providing information and recreational materials to the community. The library will advocate for readers of all ages starting as young as pre-readers progressing into adult readers. The library will provide services for the community at large that will promote a healthy relationship and build trust within the community through outreach programs with local schools, Social Services, and other agencies. The library will encourage summer reading programs, Story-walks in the park and host Author talks. The library will provide employment resources, Local history online and free classes to the community.
The library is staffed by a white male Outreach Advocate Librarian. The circulation desk is staffed by three females one of which is a person of color. There is an older white male who is a stacks manager, a middle age African American male works as a Reference Librarian, and three middle aged white females who work in children’s services. There is also an onsite bookstore staffed by two white females. There are quiet study rooms available, computer labs, Wi-Fi and internet access, printing, photo copying and magnifiers for the vision impaired. Please see the website for more information: www. tlc.library.net/Culpeper/
Kelly says:
This looks like a typical public library with a few twists—I really like that it has a permanent-looking local history room/section (I wonder what materials are in there and whether the diversity of the community is reflected in them?). It’s also interesting that it’s a library in a shopping center! I wonder what discussions the librarians had over the years as the stores were built up around them (were they excited for the possibility of new patrons flooding in or were they upset about the change in the landscape?).
cslau004 says:
I am not sure about the diversity of the community being reflected in that room/section, but I know that the public library partners with the local African American history museum to sponsor an outreach series within the community every year. And as for the library being in the shopping center, that was done the exact opposite. The old Library building was turned into a museum on main street in Culpeper and the new building was built in an old established shopping center with hopes that it would generate patronage. On the days that I have visited it has been overwhelmingly full of people even during this re-outbreak of COVID. I think the library is doing far better in their new landscape.
Casey Browning says:
I like the mission of the library! It seems like a comfortable and appealing place. It is interesting that there is an onsite bookstore. Is that part of the library?
cslau004 says:
Yes, I was fascinated by this too during my visit. It is a part of the library which was shocking to me. It offers not only books but gifts from local merchants as well promoting its history.
mhibb004 says:
It sounds like Culpeper Public Library is living its mission. I love the story walk that they have available and their summer reading display. The local history section looks large also, which I’m sure draws people who are interested in further research. I love that they also offer employment resources. That’s such a valuable resource to the community.
sbeve001 says:
Sounds like a great library and they have a Book Store. Pretty cool that they have a black male reference librarian. Glad to see they are entering the field too. The bright colors for children are attractive and inviting for reading. Thanks for sharing about this library.
Jennifer Mays says:
I think it’s interesting that the Culpeper County Library is located in a shopping center. The Timbrook Public Library in Lynchburg, Virgina was in a shopping center too before it was relocated in a bigger, more open area. I wonder how many libraries are located in shopping centers and how this may affect the number of patrons that come in. I like how the library has a diverse staff. It’s good to have some diversity, whether it be through the patrons, staff, or both. The library provides great services and programs to the public, which is a great service to them.