WILLIAMSPORT, Pa. – Local families use the James V. Brown Library, 19 E. Fourth St., every day to meet their learning and leisure needs.
And that is especially true for the Rhone family. In fact, Sarah Rhone tells people that her family practically lives at the Library.
When Sarah and her husband moved to Williamsport in 2014, she sought to engage her then one-year-old daughter, Anna Gail.
The two attended Toddler Tales and additional programs as Anna Gail grew, such as Preschool Storytime, Art Smarts and Kindness Club, which is Anna Gail’s favorite program. There, Anna Gail met her best friend, and learned the value in random acts of kindness, along with helping the environment and animals.
After siblings Ava and Elle were born, the library became a staple in the Rhone family. Elle started school during the COVID-19 pandemic, so the Library was a place for her to socialize and learn to be around other children who are not her older sisters.
But the Library helped more than just the girls. Sarah said Toddler Tales is where she began making friends in Williamsport, and she looked forward to participating in adult programs, such as DIY, bird watching, Diamond Art and more.
“There is no place like the James V. Brown Library,” Sarah said. “We practically live there because it is where we all feel safe, loved, and respected.”
Our friends and neighbors come to the Library because it is the place to go, to learn, connect and grow. And you make that possible when you invest in your community Library.
You can be a long-term partner in lifelong learning for the Rhone family and people of all ages in our community.
You can change lives through your gift to the Library, so that we can continue to provide necessary and needed community services: educational and enriching programming for all ages, bringing library services and materials to the community with the Bookmobile and Storymobile, removing fines for overdue items, opportunities for family engagement with our toy and game lending libraries, and so much more.
All of this is possible because of our generous community, who know that the Library is more than just a place for books. The Library is free to everyone who comes through our doors or accesses us online.
The Library relies on community support to help provide access to knowledge, books, computers, and educational programs to all members of society.
The Library is beginning its annual campaign, where it asks the community to help us continue to grow and support education. Please consider donating in person or online at https://jvbrown.edu/annual-fund-donation/.
“Every dollar raised is important because it serves as a catalyst for change in our community,” said Barbara McGary, executive director of the library. “When you support libraries and library services, you are supporting more than a place with books and technology. What you are really supporting are ideas and relationships.”
The James V. Brown Library is open for browsing and holds pick up from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday; and 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday. To place a hold, visit www.jvbrown.edu or call 570-326-0536 during the library’s operating hours. The library also is open for public computer usage and for services such as printing, faxing, copying and scanning. Walk-in passport services are now available.
The James V. Brown Library, 19 E. Fourth St., Williamsport, Pa., is the place to go to learn, connect and grow. Founded in June 1907, the library champions the love of reading, opens new doors to lifelong learning, provides a haven to those who seek and ensures the preservation of public library services for future generations. The library has more than 225,000 visitors in a year and circulates a half-million items annually. A member of the Lycoming County Library System, the James V. Brown Library participates in PA Forward, a statewide initiative to promote literacies in our communities to power a better future for everyone.
