National Library Week Countless Possibilities Begin at Your Local Library

National Library Week

Countless Possibilities Begin at Your Local Library

Rebecca Hemlock

The Ashland Beacon

National Library Week is a moments-to-celebrate reminder of a vital community resource that sits at the heart of our county. With one library card, residents can access a treasure trove of information, learning tools, and cultural experiences spread across three locations: Ashland, Midland, and Catlettsburg. Whether you’re a student, a parent, a retiree, or someone who simply loves to read, the library is a gateway to knowledge, connection, and opportunity.

A single card, three places, countless possibilities. Getting a library card is straightforward: you’ll need a current picture ID and proof of address. The library also maintains reciprocal agreements with most nearby counties and states, offering a library card at no charge to qualified residents. This means that even if you’re traveling through the region, your access to resources follows you.

Hours vary by location, but the message is clear: the library is open when you need it most. Ashland and Midland welcome patrons seven days a week, while Catlettsburg operates six days a week. For those who can’t make it in person, the library provides homebound services to people who are unable to travel to a physical location, ensuring that reading, information, and learning remain within reach.

Even when you’re away from the shelves, the journey continues online. The library’s online branch, thebookplace.org, operates 24/7, offering a robust digital ecosystem that complements the physical collections. It’s a digital doorway to an ever-expanding universe of resources, available anytime and anywhere.

Speaking of resources, the library’s collections are expansive. Physical materials exceed 150,000 items, spanning traditional books for adults and youth in fiction and non-fiction, magazines, newspapers, audiobooks, DVDs and Blu-ray discs, music on CD, and even games for popular consoles like Wii, Xbox, PlayStation, and Nintendo Switch. Unique programs such as

“Checkout Your Community” lets patrons explore and borrow experiences within the county, broadening the concept of what a library can offer. The genealogy and local history collections, including microfilm and archival materials, preserve the area’s heritage for researchers and curious minds alike.

Digital collections amplify the reach even further, with over 2,000,000 titles—including books, audiobooks, movies, music, magazines, and newspapers—available online. Patrons can also tap into more than 60 databases that cover everything from automotive repair to self-publishing, from educator lesson plans to real-time tutoring for students, from broad history resources to quick-reference materials. The library also provides online learning and 24/7 help from actual librarians, ensuring that guidance is never more than a call or click away.

If you can’t find what you’re looking for, don’t give up. You can request purchases to add titles to the collection or arrange an Interlibrary Loan to borrow items from other libraries. The library team is there to assist with in-person help, one-on-one training on databases and digital tools, reader’s advisory services to tailor reading recommendations, notary services, and practical tasks like copying, scanning, faxing, and printing.

Technology and makerspace opportunities are plentiful too. Public computers are available for use, and proctoring services support students and lifelong learners. At Ashland, a hands-on makerspace invites creativity in a tactile environment; at Midland, an A/V makerspace with state-of-the-art podcasting and recording equipment and software invites experimentation and media production.

Quiet study rooms and larger meeting rooms can be reserved before, during, or after library hours to accommodate study groups, meetings, and workshops. And for families and individuals relying on connectivity, free Wi-Fi extends into the surrounding community.

Perhaps most striking of all is the library’s policy: no late fees. That simple rule reflects a philosophy that access and learning should be frictionless and inclusive for everyone.

National Library Week is a chance to celebrate all these services and the people who make them possible. For more information, contact Debbie Cosper, Library Director, at 606.329.0090 or director@thebookplace.org. The book, the knowledge, and the community are waiting—whether you’re stopping by Ashland, Midland, or Catlettsburg, or tapping in from home through the online branch.