The Williamsburg Regional Library — 1st Library "Visit"

I was pretty excited to be able to work on this assignment; I’d thought that it was the perfect opportunity to return to a library that I hadn’t been able to visit in well over a decade, at least. Despite living quite close to it for about half of my life, I can only remember visiting the Williamsburg Regional Library just a couple of times. I had wanted to see how the library had compared to what I could recall, and how it held up in relation to the values I’d been focusing on throughout this first semester of the MLIS program. There were a couple of roadblocks: First and foremost, I work full-time about an hour and a half out of Williamsburg; and second, at this moment at least, I have no car! However, I, being someone who doesn’t like to change their plans, was still determined to see how the Williamsburg Regional Library fared under the microscope. Going by my instructor’s checklist, I scoured the library’s official website—https://www.wrl.org/— to gather most of my information.

The Website

The WRL homepage is colorful with large, eye-catching text to direct visitors throughout the site. The homepage should be easy to read for the visually impaired—although the other pages on the site have much smaller body text. Headlines linking to the latest news articles pertaining to library events and developments scroll across the top of the page. Below the scroll, there are four icons, which direct to the calendar, “reserve a room” (WRL, n.d.), downloadable resources, and the visitor’s account. Users can scroll across the topmost banner, which shows where one can find information on events, the catalog, collections, library policies, mobile services, and many other facets of the WRL. The library offers a huge array of downloadable content offered through Overdrive and its daughter service Libby, Magzter, and Kanopy. Through Libby and Overdrive, users can read eBooks and listen to audiobooks; they can stream movies and documentaries with Overdrive as well as Kanopy (Kanopy even boasts a catalog of over 30,000 titles (WRL, n.d.)); and Magzter is where visitors can access magazines, journals, and news publications. While usage of these apps is naturally limited to members of the Williamsburg Regional Library, perusal of the library’s whole catalog is easy for non-patrons to access.

Screenshot of the Williamsburg Regional Library home webpage (Coburn, 2022).

The library site allows patrons to access online resources and databases through their library account. Users can learn a variety of skills through Universal Class, from drawing and painting to yoga to SEO copywriting (Universal Class, n.d.). The library offers different databases pertaining to art, literature, genealogy, and others, accessible to patrons only; I wasn’t able to see what these databases held, unfortunately. Language learning is made available through the apps Mango Languages and Transparent Languages, the latter of which can be used through the Library of Virginia as a whole. All of the library’s online resources are listed on https://www.wrl.org/find-it-online/. It’s unfortunate that I wasn’t able to see how these databases and sites were laid out, but I suppose that’s a good reason for me to get a new WRL library card, in the near future.

The Outside

Currently, the library has three locations: The main building—the Williamsburg library—is located in downtown Williamsburg, within walking distance from the College of William and Mary. You can also walk to the Stryker Center from the college campus, as well. The James City County library is a 15- to 20-minute drive from William and Mary, according to Google Maps. All three structures are built with a modern aesthetic constructed with brick and white cement. The Williamsburg library appears a bit more distinct than the other two; before entering the vestibule, visitors walk below a skylight supported by four cement columns. The main front entrance is accessible in two ways: A stairwell and a ramp, the latter of which should make for easy access for visitors with mobility issues. The front displays large windows that allow for passers-by to peek inside, to preview the books and artwork on display throughout the building. The James City County library in particular reminds me of a school building. It is a building made up mostly of rectangular shapes without anything to really draw the eye, aesthetic-wise. The same could be said for the Stryker Center; however, it is unique in its inclusion of a sort of park, in front of the main entrance. The park holds a modern-style fountain, surrounded by rectangular slabs of rock clearly intended to be used as benches. The entrances of the JCC and Stryker buildings don’t feature stairwells, for ease of access. The way the Williamsburg Library in particular is designed does contrast with the more traditionalist aesthetic of downtown Williamsburg, but I feel like that’s not a bad thing.

Exterior of the Williamsburg Library (2019, Williamsburg Regional Library).

Exterior of the James City County Library (2019, Williamsburg Regional Library).

Exterior of the Stryker Center (2019, Williamsburg Regional Library).

The Inside

The inside of the Williamsburg Library is spacious, offering places for patrons to sit, browse books, or use computers if they so desire. The area is carpeted and has cool, fluorescent lighting. The children’s area has more pops of color throughout, but still maintains that sleek and modern design sensibility. While I personally don’t mind it, it does remind me of an article written by Joe Sanchez. He had visited a high school and interviewed a handful of BIPOC students regarding their use of the school library; some expressed that they felt put-off by the colder, more sterile interior of the library (Sanchez, 2018, p. 28). I wonder if BIPOC individuals residing in Williamsburg have similar sentiments.

Interior of the Williamsburg Library (2022, Williamsburg Regional Library).

Diversity and Community

I would like to believe that BIPOC individuals are welcome at the Williamsburg Regional Library. The library’s site features photos of white and nonwhite adults, but not many nonwhite children or teenagers. I personally suspect that this may be a coincidence, but I believe that more effort for representation is called for. That being said, the library was granted $1,000 in 2021 to be used as part of the library’s initiative to combat racism, both within and beyond the community (WRL, 2021).

The library also boasts an impressive (to me) outreach program, aimed at children and older adults, alike. WRL’s mobile library dedicates one day a week driving through a certain neighborhood or community, providing activities for children and free wifi hotspots for those who need it (WRL, n.d.). The mobile library also travels out to various retirement communities across the county; one day each month is dedicated to each home listed on the site (WRL, n.d.). Programming like this not only makes the library and its services that much more accessible, but also helps to bring the community closer together.

History

The Williamsburg Regional Library briefly lays out its history on its website https://www.wrl.org/about-us/library-history/:

“Founded in 1909 in the front hall of the historic Saint George Tucker House with 50 volumes, the library grew and relocated many times. It began serving James City County residents in 1926. The Williamsburg Library moved to its present location in 1973 with about 12,000 volumes and was first expanded there in 1981. The Williamsburg Regional Library was created by contract between the City of Williamsburg and James City County as an independent agency in 1977. The James City County Library was opened in the Norge area in July 1996” (Williamsburg Regional Library, n.d.).

Conclusion

I regret not being able to visit the Williamsburg Regional Library in person, this time. However, finding what I have found, my desire to visit it again is even stronger than it was before. I have only been there a couple of times, and I would like to be able to go when I can really appreciate it for what it is. However, based on the website, I get a glimpse of how much bigger WRL is compared to the library where I am employed. I look forward to seeing what other libraries in Virginia have to offer.

Resources:

Williamsburg Regional Library (2021). “WRL uses microgrant for antiracism reading initiative.” Williamsburg Regional Library. https://www.libraryaware.com/248/Documents/CurrentThumbnail/3363362.

Williamsburg Regional Library (2019). Exterior and interior shots of the three main buildings affiliated with the Williamsburg Regional Library, [Photographs of the Williamsburg Regional Library]. https://www.wrl.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/WL_web-1-1536x1024.jpg, https://www.wrl.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/JCCL_12-19-1536x1024.jpg, https://www.wrl.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/Stryker_web-1536x1024.jpg, https://www.wrl.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/IMG_6325-800x600.jpeg.

Coburn, K. (2022). Williamsburg Regional Library official website homepage, [Screenshot].

Sanchez, J. (2018). “What Are They Doing, Like, in a Library?”: Mexican-American Experiences in Their High School Library. Young Adult Library Services, 16(4), 26-29.