COTTAGE GROVE – Natasha Chitow’s office is in what she affectionately calls “the city’s living room.”
The Cottage Grove Library at 700 E. Gibbs Ave. provides resources, social connections, and support for people of all ages and backgrounds beyond the bookshelves.
Among its roles, it offers seniors access to resources for working at older ages and assistance for other folks who need tech help for job applications.
“Libraries are a cost-saving measure for a community because it’s supposed to be a financial equalizer,” said Chitow, head librarian. “We’re providing materials that would be too expensive to buy individually. We also have many people who come in regularly, sometimes daily, who consider this their social hub.”
The library also supports children and families through various programs and events, creating inclusive, engaging activities for all ages. “We try to satisfy people’s curiosity and also bring up the importance of community,” Chitow said.
Cultural preservation is part of the community. Through other Partners in History in Cottage Grove – like Singing Creek Education Center – the library supports the city’s local Mayan population’s cultural heritage by hosting programs like Los Pueblos Camp, the Dia de los Libros event, providing bilingual resources, and celebrating local authors and writing groups.
“We try to provide programs that reach everybody, a really wide variety of materials,” she said.
Regarding censorship at the library, “We follow the same policies and procedures that most other libraries with ALA-accredited staff would do. Our biggest thing is people like to hide books here… in silly places so that other people can’t access them.”
She noted specific examples of hidden books, including books with “rainbow” in the title, anatomy books, and immigration process books for children.
“People aren’t doing this because they hate children,” Chitow said. “They’re doing it because they care about their community. They just can’t make those choices for everyone’s children,” adding that there is a resolution process to follow if folks want to file complaints.
Chitow is gearing up for the busiest time of the year when the kids come out in force.
Last summer, there was almost daily programming, averaging a dizzying 60-70 programs in a span of a couple of months, Chitow said.
The upcoming two-month Summer Reading Program theme is “Level Up at Your Library,” and gaming activities will be integrated.
But financial concerns dangle overhead.
The library director position was eliminated, and those duties were added to Chitow’s role. She said that the City has been in a hiring freeze and she cannot order books from March through June due to budget constraints, gesturing to some empty spaces on the shelves.
The library is struggling to find grants to help cover operational expenses.
“Operating expenses are not things that are generally grant funded these days, and people don’t really get that. We haven’t been grant-funded outside of very narrow avenues for at least a decade,” she said. “I applied for an ALA grant to try to get ADA door openers for bathrooms because we don’t have it in our budget because those things are (up to) $5,000 a piece, and I need four of them. We didn’t get the grant. I don’t know where the funding is going to come for that,” she said.
The library is also reliant on funding from the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) and consortium funding for digital collections and databases, which is being threatened at the federal level.
The recent executive order to “reduce the federal bureaucracy” aims to “dismantle” IMLS, which is the only federal agency dedicated to supporting and funding museums and libraries.
“Digital resource subscriptions are extremely expensive,” Chitow said, adding that each database – academic research databases, The Libby app, Oregon Digital Library Consortium resources – costs between $5,000 and $10,000 annually for a small academic library. In total, the library has around 20 different databases.
Chitow said that without IMLS funding, these digital resources would likely become unavailable, as the library cannot afford to subscribe to all these databases on its own.
Chitow said the library has been “doing more with less” and is in a “weird holding pattern” due to financial constraints. She said she is advocating in Salem and is talking to local representatives about library services and their financial needs.
“Thankfully, there’s a lot of joy in libraries. Little kids being excited about coming to the library, seeing our regulars, when new books are able to come in, when people have a great time reading something that we recommended,” Chitow said. “Sometimes we get adults that like some of the kids’ crafting stuff because I make it all ages. I’m not going to restrict them, and it’s funny what will draw people in. Because you never know.”
More info: 541-942-3828 and cottagegroveor.gov/library.
UPCOMING
FRIDAY, APRIL 4 – Storytime with Bobber the Water Safety Dog, 11:30 a.m. Bobber the Water Safety Dog and the Army Corps of Engineers share water safety skills, read some fun stories, and activities related to water safety. Program by the Army Corps of Engineers.
WEDNESDAY, APRIL 9 — Poetry and Short Writing open mic night, 5:30-7 p.m. Celebrate National Poetry Month with readings of poetry and short writings by local writers. 5:30 p.m. Potential participants can email [email protected].
FRIDAY, APRIL 11 Free Emergency Preparedness Workshop for Youth, 3-5 p.m. Make your own “Emergency Go Bag”. Lane County 4-H hosts free emergency preparedness workshop for grades K-12th.
FRIDAY, APRIL 19 Storytime with Sara T. Behrman, 11:30 a.m. Enjoy a read-aloud, seahorse songs, and seahorse crafts. Books will be sold and signed after the event. Author of “The Sea Hides a Seahorse.”
WEDNESDAY, APRIL 30 El día de los niños/El día de los libros (Children’s Day/Book Day), 2:30-4 p.m. Storytime and a free book giveaway. Nationally recognized initiative that emphasizes the importance of literacy for all children of all linguistic and cultural backgrounds.
WEDNESDAY, JUNE 18 Summer Reading Kickoff Party, 3-5 p.m., at Bohemia Park. This year’s theme is “Level Up at Your Library,” focusing on ways to “level up:” games and gaming, skill building, etc. Anyone can register for summer reading and receive a free book.
ON REPEAT
Ukulele Club, 9 a.m., every Tuesday. Play songs together. No experience is required to join and learn. The library has a selection of ukuleles available to check out.
Steam Tuesday, 3 p.m., every second Tuesday. Once per month, exploring STEAM concepts with hands-on activities with Melinda Garcia from OSU Extension Service Lane County 4-H.
Lego Club for Kids, 2:30 p.m., every first Wednesday of the month. Lego Club for Kids is available for ages 5-12 (or younger with direct supervision by a caregiver). Hang out, make a cool lego creation and let us display it in our display case by the Children’s area!
Baby Lap Time, 11:30 a.m., every Thursday. For babies up to two years old. All families are welcome.
Book Club, 4:30 p.m., every third Thursday of the month. Book discussion and selection for future sessions.
Friday Storytime, 11:30 a.m., every Friday. For ages two years and older.
Craft Tutor, 2:30 p.m., every fourth Wednesday of the month. Craft Tutor is a monthly program where you can learn a new crafting skill or create a preplanned project. Ages 7-12.
This series was brought to you by grant money the City of Cottage Grove received through the Oregon Parks and Recreation Department Heritage Program. The grant was to be used to partner with local media and historical organizations to showcase storytelling, photographs, and tidbits that many are unaware of. This is Part 4 of the series. The Chronicle will continue reporting on the Partners through in April due to high volume and popularity.
