Director's message - Fall 2026

It’s been a summer to remember at Worthington Libraries.

Thousands of kids, teens and adults participated in this year’s summer reading club. We held hundreds of programs which brought people together for fun, relaxation and learning. Our Pop-Up Library was seen in the Memorial Day Parade, Columbus Pride March and at community events held throughout the season. I want to give a huge thanks to all the library staff, volunteers and Volunteens who make all of this happen. A special shout out goes to the Friends Foundation of Worthington Libraries for funding the summer reading club and all of our summer events. It’s a community effort to bring the community together!

As we look to fall, there’s no slowing down. Our calendar is jam-packed with fun events, including an author visit with Chloe Benjamin on September 10, the Storybook Ball on September 25 and the return of Books and Brews, the annual Friends Foundation fundraiser, on November 13. More information on these events, and so much more, can be found on our calendar.

Following our comprehensive facilities plan, completed last year, we’re also gearing up to work with an architect to reimagine our library buildings.

Old Worthington Library first opened in 1979. It’s been expanded and updated several times, but it’s now becoming more difficult to meet the needs of our community with the building in its current configuration. The library is also starting to show its age, with facility issues that are costly to address and difficult to retrofit.

When Northwest Library opened 30 years ago in 1996, the backyard was an afterthought. Few programs were held outside and there was no convenient way to access the space from the building. Now, we host movie nights, a summer camping event and other programs in that space, but still can’t easily access it from the library interior.

Worthington Park Library, located in a shopping center, is our newest facility. When it opened in 2008, it occupied only 5,280 square feet with a limited library collection. Now, it’s more than 20,000 square feet, the size of a freestanding library, and provides great service but in a somewhat unwieldy space.

As we look to the future, it’s time to dream and plan, and we want you to come along for the adventure! At various points in this process, we’ll be asking the community for ideas and input. Please follow the library’s social media channels and come back to our website to learn more and get involved!