GREENSBORO – Over the past year, the Greensboro Free Library has continued to be a steady and familiar part of everyday life in Greensboro, offering space, resources and connection in ways both big and small.
The library has remained a place where people gather, learn, work, rest and connect. It serves residents, visitors, families and anyone who walks through the door looking for information, warmth or a sense of belonging. While libraries are often thought of as quiet places for reading, ours is frequently lively and full of energy, especially during children’s programs and community activities. At the same time, there are corners reserved for quiet work, study and reflection. Together, these spaces reflect the many ways people use and value the library.
Looking back on the past year, the numbers offer a glimpse into just how woven the library is into community life. For a small town, it is striking that more than 10,000 people came through the library’s doors. Staff and volunteers hosted over 250 programs for children and adults, circulated more than 17,000 items, and provided a regular meeting place for 14 community groups. Volunteers contributed more than 1,000 hours of their time, and the library continues to support partnerships such as Lakeview Early Education Center and Four Seasons of Early Learning.
Those numbers, however, only tell part of the story.The library is often associated with books, but what happens inside its walls each day goes well beyond that. People come in to print job or housing applications, complete online forms, attend programs, take online courses or use reliable internet when service at home is limited. Others arrive looking for a quiet place to focus, a warm room during colder months or simply the ease of being around other people. Along with books and digital resources, the library offers statewide interlibrary loan access, public computers, meeting and study spaces, a Library of Things, printing and scanning services, yearly volunteer led tax preparation help and a welcoming environment for children and families.
This past year brought meaningful improvements behind the scenes. Technology upgrades expanded internet speed and coverage, new computers and printers improved access for patrons and the collection continued to grow with new books and materials. Energy efficiency improvements, including the installation of new windows, helped make the building more comfortable and sustainable year round.
Programming remained strong across all ages, and the library gallery continued to feature local artists, offering an accessible and welcoming platform for people to share their work and creativity with the community.
There is much to look forward to in the year ahead. Long-needed fire and security improvements are underway to significantly enhance building safety. The library is in the process of adding backup battery power and expanding its heating and cooling systems to improve resilience, comfort and year round use of the space.
Continued technology upgrades and expansion of the Library of Things will help ensure the library remains responsive to changing needs. At the same time, the library is creating new volunteer opportunities, recognizing that volunteering remains one of the most meaningful ways for people to connect with one another and support a shared public resource.
At its core, the Greensboro Free Library exists to serve the people who rely on it, often in ways that are easy to overlook but hard to replace. It is a place for learning and curiosity, for connection and care, and for the everyday work of building community.
Edward Lemery is a director at the Greensboro Free Library.
