The Library is Always Doing Something New

Over the past year, the Library has acquired many new and improved features. 

A quick stroll through our stacks will showcase our World Language Collection (Colección de Idiomas Mundiales). Currently, the collection consists of Spanish titles for adults and children’s books in a variety of languages, including Spanish, Korean, Lithuanian, and Japanese. In addition, Hoopla offers thousands of audiobooks, ebooks, movies, and more in numerous languages. This collection is housed beside our “New Releases” area, in front of the Circulation Desk.

Nearby, in our Library of Things, you will find our growing collection. In 2025, in partnership with the Ohio County Family Resource Network, we added baby gear, including a Baby Sling, a Pack N Play, a Stroller, and more. More recently, we added Memory Kits. Almost six million Americans are currently living with dementia related diseases. Memory kits promote reminiscing, stimulate memories, and foster meaningful conversation. The kits include a DVD, photo, and activity cards, and come in a wide variety of topics. Of course, we are always adding new board games and other fun goodies. We’ve acquired a Ghost Hunting Kit, a Parachute Play Kit, a Button Making Machine, and so much more.

We have focused on growing partnerships with our community, appearing at events like Wheeling Heritage’s Handmade Holiday, Waterfront Wednesdays, at Storytime in the Park at Oglebay Park. We have worked to bring more events, partnering with the community programs, to the library, such as “A Look at Iris Apfel, Fashion Icon” with Wheeling Fashion Week and a movie Night with The Friendlier City Project.

Throughout the library, we have also been changing our layout. We have created a dedicated Teen Zone to house our YA collection. What is most exciting about this area is the engagement of our Teen Advisory Board. They have been offering insights on programming teens want to see, as well as helping us make the area look totally cool. Nearby, we’ve also added a puzzle table, allowing anyone who enters the library to work together to build a puzzle.

We’ve also had lots of changes in the Children’s Department. We are always getting new toys, of course, but we’ve also got new Storytimes. Every day the library is open, we offer storytimes. We’ve added Storytime with Mr B, Family Storytime on Saturdays, and Sensory Storytimes that offer accommodations that will make the experience more enjoyable for neurodiverse children. The best addition of all, though, is our library pet. Bluey the mermaid beta fish has taken up residence in the Children’s Department and is just a joy. He is here to help children practice their reading! Reading out loud to animals has many benefits, no matter the reading level a child has reached. Animals don't judge a child's reading skills, which may encourage hesitant or struggling readers to practice and gain confidence.