Libraries are much different now than they were even five or 10 years ago. Whereas they used to be places to find books and do research, now they are community hubs, offering all manner of activities for all ages while still adhering to their purpose.
Here is a collection of photos from our “Much More Than Books: The Evolution of the Kenosha Public Library” three-day series that was published in the Kenosha News that looks at the changing role of the library in the community and shows how it is more relevant now than ever before.
SALEM — The Salem Community Library is becoming a hub of home-school activity thanks to new daytime programming geared toward the needs of non…
While books remain an important focal point of the Kenosha Public Library’s day-to-day operations, they have become a fraction of what occurs …
Alexa. The Echo Dot. Google. Smartphones. The Internet.
Kristin Kornkven leads the Social Justice Book Club as it meets at the Northside Library on Tuesday, January 8, 2019.
Dani Lockwood, left, David Lockwood discuss their reading during the Social Justice Book Club as it meets at the Northside Library on Tuesday.…
Dani Lockwood, left, David Lockwood, Ellie Gross discuss their reading as Kristin Kornkven, right, leads the Social Justice Book Club as it me…
Dani Lockwood discusses her reading during the Social Justice Book Club as it meets at the Northside Library on Tuesday, January 8, 2019.
Kristin Kornkven leads the Social Justice Book Club as it meets at the Northside Library on Tuesday, January 8, 2019.
St. Joseph Catholic Academy Lower Campus fifth-grade teacher John Roscioli, top middle, with his students, including Tommy Otto, lower left, a…
The Kenosha Public Library’s Bookmobile makes a stop at St. Joseph Catholic Academy Lower Campus on Tuesday, January 8, 2019.
Janet Frieman, a customer services specialist at the Northside Library, logs hold items after they are sorted by the library’s new automatic m…
Marcia Siehr instructs a class on Windows 10 at the Northside Library on Wednesday, Jan. 9, 2019.
Marcia Siehr instructs a class on Windows 10 at the Northside Library on Wednesday, Jan. 9, 2019.
Marcia Siehr, left, helps Patsy Klein, center, and Bernie Baumiester during a class on Windows 10 at the Northside Library on Wednesday.
Theresa Seidel, left, a librarian at the Twin Lakes Community Library, reads to preschoolers Marty Best, Charlie Best, Nicholas and Michael Kn…
Theresa Seidel, a librarian at the Twin Lakes Community Library, reads to children during the preschool story time last Thursday.
Theresa Seidel is a librarian at the Twin Lakes Community Library. Seidel was waiting for children to arrive for a preschool story time at the…
Preschoolers Marty Best, left, and Charlie Best listen as Theresa Seidel, a librarian at the Twin Lakes Community Library, reads during the pr…
Theresa Seidel, a librarian at the Twin Lakes Community Library, reads to children during the preschool story time. Thursday, January 10, 2019.
From left, Destiny Jones, 10, Lola Bruns, 10, Noah Beeal, 8, Lisa Rivers, and Issac Shailer, 10, do a breakdown cheer at the end of the Discov…
Isaac Shailor, 10, center, shares drawings of things he likes during the Discover Theater Class at the Southwest Library on Tuesday, Jan. 8, 2019.
Lola Bruns, 10, shares that reading is her favorite thing to do as Isaac Shailor, 10, looks on during the Discover Theater Class at the Southw…
Isaac Shailor, 10, acts out "confused" during the Discover Theater Class at the Southwest Library on Tuesday, Jan. 8, 2019.
Lola Buns, 10, puts gestures to "confident" during the Discover Theater Class at the Southwest Library on Tuesday, Jan. 8, 2019.
Lisa Rivers, left, motions as students from left, Noah Beeal, 8, Issac Shailor, 10, and Lola Bruns, 10, act out emotions during the Discover T…
Kenosha Public Library employee Lisa Rivers, left, motions as students, from left, Noah Beeal, 8, Issac Shailor, 10, and Lola Bruns, 10, act o…
From left, Destiny Jones, 10, Isaac Shailor, 10, Noah Beeal, 8, Lola Bruns, 19, and Lisa Rivers create a story out to act out during the Disco…
From left, Isaac Shailor, 10, Noah Beeal, 8, Destiny Jones, 10, and Lola Bruns act out specific words from a story theyc created during the Di…
Noah Beeal, 8, center, gestures typing as he plays charades during the Discover Theater Class at the Southwest Library on Tuesday, Jan. 8, 2019.
Matthew Moon, 11, reads a book to Ellie and her handler, Dave Jouppi at the Southwest Library on Saturday, Jan. 12, 2019.
Hayden Stanis, 7, reads to Ellie and her handler, Dave Jouppie, at the Southwest Library on Saturday, Jan. 12, 2019.
Ryan Moon,9, reads to Otis and his handler, Joan Davies, at the Southwest Library on Saturday, Jan. 12, 2019.
Matthew Moon, 11, reads a book to Ellie and her handler, Dave Jouppi at the Southwest Library on Saturday, Jan. 12, 2019.
Matthew Moon, 11, reads a book to Ellie and her handler, Dave Jouppi at the Southwest Library on Saturday, Jan. 12, 2019.
Gamers play Ticket to Ride during Game Club at the Southwest Library on Thursday, Jan. 10, 2019.
Brothers Dakota, left, and Jasper Kane look at their cards as they strategize during Game Club at the Southwest Library on Thursday, Jan. 10, 2019.
From left, Rob Nunez and brothers Dakota and Jasper Kane play a game called Ticket to Ride during Game Club on Thursday at Southwest Library.
Rob Nunez, head of collection services, looks at his cards as he plays Ticket to Ride during Game Club at the Southwest Library on Thursday, J…
From left, Don Kresch, Rob Nunez and Dakota Kane play Ticket to Ride during Game Club at the Southwest Library on Thursday, Jan. 10, 2019.
For generations of children, public libraries across the U.S. have been synonymous with storytimes and other reading-related activities.
With bright, vibrant, imagination-inspired images covering its body, the Kenosha Public Library’s Bookmobile is hard to miss.
It might be smaller in scope and serve fewer patrons, but the pair of Community Library branches serving residents in western Kenosha County h…