April 9-15, 2017 is National Library Week! National Library Week was established in 1958 to promote reading and the use of libraries. The theme for 2017 is “Libraries Transform” – libraries themselves change, and, more importantly, they change lives by offering access to information and technology, providing relevant collections, and facilitating community engagement.

[caption id=“attachment_928” align=“alignnone” width=“718”] Penrose Library, 1958. We’ve certainly transformed since then! Photo courtesy of the Whitman College Archives, Walla Walla Union-Bulletin Collection, WCMss99. http://arminda.whitman.edu/union_bulletin/10/[/caption]

The digital age has brought both challenges and opportunities for both academic and public libraries. As more and more resources have moved online – from journal subscriptions to ebooks to streaming video, as well as the databases and interfaces for finding information – priorities for budgeting and use of space must be reconsidered. Throughout, library workers strive to serve their communities’ needs in accordance with core library values, and in general, they are recognized for doing so. At Penrose Library, we want to hear about your priorities for the library, what we’re doing well, and what we could improve. You can support libraries in your community by using their services and recommending their services to others. And if you want to donate time or money or support libraries more broadly, here are some ways to do so.