Washington Memorial Library works to meet community need

By Rose Scoggin

Imagine.

Two people sitting at a table playing a game of chess, in a room surrounded with shelves of books. Across the room, two other people are sitting and talking about an idea they have to improve the community.

In the room next door, a group of people sit in a computer class to improve their technology skills.

This is the scene that Jennifer Lautzenheiser, Director of Middle Georgia Regional Library system, said you will find at Washington Memorial Library.

Lautzenheiser said the openness that a library gives to the community is the reason that you will see such a diverse scene.

“One of the fundamental aspects of a library is that it is open and accessible to everyone, no matter what their education level, [or] socioeconomic status,” she said.

Washington Memorial Library has been open to the Macon community for almost 100 years Lautzenheiser said.

While it was supposed to founded as a Carnegie Library, the library was privately funded in order to bear the Washington family name.

Since its opening, the library has undergone several renovations that has allowed it to win several awards. According to their website, the latest award they received was being named one of the 10 most beautiful libraries in Georgia.

“Each time that it has gone through a renovation, the architect and the administration worked very hard to maintain the integrity of the historical nature of this facility and still meet modern needs,” Lautzenheiser said. “I think the recognition of that with this award is one of the beautiful libraries is quite an honor.”

While the library includes a section for children, teens, adults and a computer lab, its Genealogy and Historical room has also brought it some recognition.

Lautzenheiser said the space has been “considered the leading of its kind in the Southeastern United States.”

She said that people from all over the world have been to Washington Memorial Library just to do research in the Genealogy and Historical room.

“Most people think of it as a place where they can come and look up their family history, which it certainly can do that, but it’s not just for Georgia,” she said. “We have had researchers come from England and research local authors and then write books.”

Along with having researchers from all over the world, Washington Memorial Library, which is a part of the Middle Georgia Regional Library System, offers classes to local patrons.

Many of these classes include teaching patrons about technology. Lautzenheiser said that the 40 computer lab will hold around 22 to 30 classes each month.

She said that having classes on technology is important to the main goal of helping people obtain information.

“Access to information should be a basic human right,” she said. “Even basic human services like government assistance to food and housing, you have to be able to fill out the application online. Well if you’re trying to take care of those fundamental rights, you’re probably not paying for internet at your house.”

There are also other special programs that Washington Memorial Library offers that make sure that all types of people are able to access information according to Catie Tierney, Head of Public Services for Middle Georgia Regional Library system.

“We had a real need for adaptive programing for special needs adults,” she said. “Now we hold regular programming where they can come and [get] a basic story time adapted for those folks. We show them the library and help them get the books they want, and more than just books.”

Tierney said the way that they saw the need for special programming was through a local group that asked for something like the program they now offer.

Lautzenheiser said that this is just one example of the way that Washington Memorial Library, and the Middle Georgia Regional Library System as a whole, helps to meet the needs of the local community.

“Middle Georgia Library Regional system is dedicated to meeting community need,” she said. “So as opposed to going into the community and saying ‘these are the services that we offer,’ we actually engage community-wide leaders, patrons, general community members, into crafting what library service should look like in Middle Georgia. As they develop the plan, it’s our job to implement it and I think thats why its so well received by our community, because it’s actually just us delivering what we know that they need.”