Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...

By NOAH WORTHAM |Staff Writer 

ALABASTER – The Albert L. Scott Library in Alabaster recently received a generous donation from Senator April Weaver.

Weaver recently presented the Albert L. Scott Library in Alabaster with a $2,000 donation on June 26.

Library Director Kim Roberts shared her thoughts on the support the library receives from the state’s senators and representatives.

“It’s great that they’re offering monetary support, but what’s more important is to be able to actually talk to them and (how) they’re interested in what we’re doing,” Roberts said. “They’re always in support of everything we do. To know that they are actually supporting and interested in what each individual library is doing (and) for them to be individually involved is rewarding in and of itself.”

Roberts shared that the library is already taking advantage of the funds to bring various improvements to the library including upgrades its digital media offerings as well as a new book truck.

“That’s going to help our services department tremendously,” she said. “We’re also going to get a new display for our circulation desk where we can highlight different items for different times of the year.”

Roberts shared that the library is making a shift from its physical audio collections to more of a focus on digital collections.

“As we’re watching our circulation trends, some of those physical items are not circulating as well,” she said. “We’re not going to completely get rid of them, but we are scaling back and diving more digital to strike that nice balance over the next couple of years. “

The library is acquiring Wonderbooks to aid in the education of kids.

“As you turn the pages, the book reads to you,” she said. “It’s a read along where it actually reads it to you and kids can follow along with the words versus where you have an audio CD and you have to find a player. (The Wonderbook is) all in one unit and it checks out as one item.”

The Albert L. Scott Library is also hoping to expand its offerings with Launchpad, a series of pre-loaded tablets with educational apps on them.

Roberts spoke on the work that the Albert L. Scott Library provides the local community.

“We physically circulate items, books and things like that,” she said. “We have a computer center. We’ve done tons of programming, and we’re expanding that this year to incorporate more adult and teen programming than we’ve done in the past. We do outreach programming at our local are daycare centers and preschools.”

Those interested in learning more about the Albert L. Scott Library and its offerings may visit its official Facebook page at Facebook.com/AlbertLScottLibrary or its website at Cityofalabaster.com/221/library.