EMMA ROUTLEY/CHRONICLE PHOTO
Cottage Grove Library volunteers Natasha Chitow (left) and Becky Arnoux.
COTTAGE GROVE – The Cottage Grove Public Library has taken its books to the public – via the great outdoors.
Every Tuesday from 11 a.m.-1 p.m., the library sets up shop in Bohemia Park and is available to process new library cards. Cottage Grove Public Library and the Creswell Public Library share a cardholder lending agreement, and books can be checked out at either location with either library card.
“We don’t know when the library will be able to reopen while the case count remains inconsistent,” said Natasha Chitow, Cottage Grove’s head librarian. “We’ll keep the outside library for as long as we need to.”
Chitow said the goal is to make everything accessible and keep people reading. Plastic gloves are provided for handling the books in the park, and masks are required.
Cottage Grove resident and frequent library visitor Banti Winslow said she is happy to be back to safely browsing the books.
“I went to the library every week, so I really miss it,” Winslow said.
The outside library also has an interactive storywalk throughout the park, run by the youth services library assistant Becky Arnoux to help engage children’s pre-literacy skills.
