When I was director of the Johnson City Public Library in Tennessee, I was introduced to a national initiative called “Seeding Artful Aging.” The program’s goals were to demonstrate the power and impact of creative aging programs and to encourage the development of arts education programs for older adults. Creative arts programs are key in fighting ageism, or discrimination based on age, by redefining how society views older adults. When older adults are able to highlight their strengths, or gain new strengths, they are positioned to showcase themselves as active creators and learners.

Helen Washburn grew up in Idaho and spent a lot of time in the Boise Public Library which was a lovely Carnegie building. She says, “I was always encouraged to read as much as I wanted and when I wanted.” Helen served as the president of Cottey College in Nevada, Missouri for 18 years before retiring to Columbia. She has lived in Boone County for 21 years and served on the DBRL Foundation board for seven years.

Literacy begins with a baby’s earliest experiences with books. Snuggling with a little one and pointing out the pictures as you read along helps the child understand the words you’re reading. Pictures have been a part of our desire for information since prehistory, when people made the famous cave paintings at Lascaux in Europe and the pictographs in ancient Iraq and Egypt. They can illustrate something concrete like an apple or inspire an emotion, memory or make us recall a well-known story such as a girl with long hair in a tower.

Throughout May we are celebrating Women’s Health Week at the library by focusing on a basic need of many. There are people in our community unable to go to work or attend school because they don’t have the money to buy period supplies. This affects their mental well-being, their earning potential and their opportunity to learn. You can help break the cycle of period poverty. The library is hosting a period product drive at all of our locations to benefit our local communities.

Thanks to the randomly selected 1,398 people in Boone and Callaway Counties who took time to answer our survey, we have a better sense of what we’re doing right and where we can improve. The information will also be valuable when we begin drafting our next long-range strategic plan.

What a true joy and privilege it’s been to start my journey as executive director of the Daniel Boone Regional Library! I joined the DBRL team November 25, 2024 and have enjoyed getting to know our staff, our patrons and members of the DBRL Foundation and Friends of the Library.

Columbia has been my home since 2020, and DBRL has been an integral part of my personal life, because, like many of you, a trip to the public library has always been a part of my normal routine.

The weather outside is still dreary, but you’ve deleted all of your junk email and finally removed the dust bunnies from under the couch. Now you’re ready for some indoor relaxation and fun. You could get out the puzzle you’ve assembled time and time again, or discover engaging online services from your library!

The library’s board of trustees and staff warmly welcome Robin Westphal as the new executive director of Daniel Boone Regional Library. She brings a wealth of experience to our organization and the communities we serve.

Meet library trustee Seth Christensen, who moved to Columbia for law school and now serves as the managing attorney at American Outdoor Brands, Inc. The son of a librarian, Seth says, “Libraries are a rare public space where people can just exist without there being an expectation for them to spend money.”