Alexa. The Echo Dot. Google. Smartphones. The Internet.

In an era when information is available at the click of a button, instantaneously, questions about the viability of an age-old community amenity — the local library — abound.

But as society has changed by leaps and bounds in recent decades, the local library is following suit, local staffers are quick to point out.

While the traditional items — physical, printed books — remain important staples within the Kenosha Public Library, staffers say patrons are using the local amenity for a growing list of other uses, some having nothing to do with books.

The articles ahead in this special report point to how library staffers are working to bring the local amenity into the digital age through community partnerships and offering diverse programs for patrons of all ages.

The two Community Library branches in western Kenosha County are adopting a similar strategy by evolving and tailoring their offerings, based on patrons’ needs and desires.