Melissa Patton, interim director of the Blue Ridge Regional Library system, gave Henry County supervisors an overview of services and programming at the county’s library branches at the Oct. 28 meeting.

Patton said the library’s mission is to provide “free friendly service and access to timely materials that educate, enrich, and entertain the entire community.” She listed services offered at the Bassett, Collinsville and Ridgeway branches, including meeting rooms (used 117 times through Aug. 31), story time and summer reading programs, homeschool STEM, Lego clubs, craft classes, book clubs, chair exercise classes and outreach partnerships such as a “read to the shelter pets” program with the local SPCA.

The library also offers nontraditional circulating items: YMCA day passes, e-books and audiobooks, puzzles and toys for checkout, a day pass to the Virginia Museum of Natural History, and cake pans at Ridgeway; Collinsville has a sensory play area intended for children on the autism spectrum. Patton said the branches provide public computers, fax and copy services, and staff answered 187 job-related reference questions and 94 continuing-education questions as of July 31; she added that three people had obtained jobs with assistance from the library’s services.

Patton acknowledged staff and volunteers by name (branch managers and system staff listed in the packet) and thanked the board for past support. She said the regional library board is conducting a search for a permanent director following Rick Ward’s retirement in June; Patton is serving as interim director.

Why it matters

Patton’s briefing highlights the library’s role as both an informational resource and community hub — providing programs for children and adults, serving job-seeking residents, and offering meeting space for community groups. The board did not take formal action on the presentation; Patton offered to provide additional statistics (summer-reading participation numbers) if the board requested them.

Ending

Board members thanked the library staff for the work in branches across Henry County. Patton requested the board’s continued support as the library seeks a permanent director and continues the system’s programming.