The library isn’t just about books anymore. In fact, “reading” is just one reason among many that local people step into any of the city’s five public libraries. Some of those reasons might surprise you.
“Libraries have always adapted,” says Stacy Clopton, coordinator of PR and programming for Amarillo Public Library. In most cases, that expansion of services has to do with the demands of patrons. “It is very much the library ethos to [ask] what is the community need? And then how can we help meet that need?”
Beyond the stacks, here are 10 things you can do at the Amarillo Public Library.
1. Read.
This is the obvious one, so let’s make it clear from the start: The Amarillo Public Library still wants you to read. Check out books. Research a school project. Browse through magazines. (You can find free copies of the latest Brick & Elm on display at all five local libraries.)
Clopton estimates patrons have access to around half a million items across the library system—mostly books. That’s not changing anytime soon.
2. Download ebooks, audiobooks and comics.
With a library card, users can access a staggering number of digital titles using free, downloadable apps. CloudLibrary and Boundless both allow access to huge collections of ebooks and audiobooks—just log in with your library card and PIN. “They are free and you can listen or read wherever you are,” Clopton says. “We share those collections with other libraries in Texas, so that means our patrons have access to hundreds of thousands of titles. It’s much larger than it would be if it was our collection alone.”
Clopton is a big fan of comics and graphic novels, and the Comics Plus app gives library patrons access to those products. “They’re good for your brain,” she says, because integrating words while interpreting visual images requires higher-level thinking. “Everyone should read comics,” she says. The Comics Plus app offers separate collections for children, teens and adults, sorted by age. It includes manga, nonfiction graphic books and graphic novels from a broad selection of publishers.
3. Visit art organizations and nature attractions.
Amarillo Public Library cardholders are able to “check out” Amarillo Little Theatre tickets and passes to the Amarillo Zoo, Wildcat Bluff Nature Center and the Don Harrington Discovery Center.
The latter three organizations offer week-long passes. “You can check out those passes for a week at a time, and during that week, you and your entire family—two adults and up to two kids—can visit that attraction as often as you want,” she says.
ALT provides the library a certain number of tickets to each of its productions, and patrons can check out tickets on a first-come, first-served basis. “I always tell people I’m putting ‘check out’ in air quotes because they don’t bring them back,” Clopton adds. Each household is allowed to check out tickets to every other show, to make the arts organization available to as many people as possible.
“These are really great programs we have with our partners. We’re very grateful to them for making it work,” Clopton says.
4. Stream movie and television content.
Digital streaming services seem to be raising prices every month, but the library offers a free alternative. Using the app Kanopy, cardholders can access an ad-free streaming service that gives public library members access to a large catalog of films and documentaries— including A24 films, independent cinema, critically acclaimed documentaries, foreign films and classic Hollywood movies.
Some titles are available all the time. Others become available in bundles. “There’s a British cinema bundle, a kids’ bundle and a family-friendly bundle,” she says. Patrons have a certain number of play credits every month they can use to stream features. (Some collections offer unlimited access.) The app is downloadable to smart TVs, allowing users to watch them just like they would Netflix or Hulu.
5. Learn a language.
The library offers free English as a Second Language classes at its East Branch (2232 E. 27th Ave.) and at the Downtown Library (413 SE Fourth Ave.). The East Branch also teaches a Spanish as a Second Language class. “That’s a great opportunity for people who’ve always wanted to learn Spanish, or maybe they studied it in high school and have let some of that training slide,” she says. “The East Branch even offers a conversation hour every other Wednesday, so people can practice the Spanish they’ve been learning.”
Around 15 to 25 people attend each weekly class.
Another digital app, Transparent Language, offers at-your-own-pace language learning software for more than 110 world languages, including American Sign Language, Chinese, French and German. It’s appropriate for learners at all levels. Transparent Language requires registering for a free account.
6. Repair old things and create new things.
The Amarillo Public Library officially opened its MakerSpace in the downtown location in the summer of 2021, and the public continues to discover its wonders. “Our MakerSpace is so busy,” Clopton says. Around 12,000 people accessed it over the past fiscal year. “People do all kinds of things there.”
Some use the tools and materials to pursue hobbies like knitting, 3D printing and scrapbooking. And while Clopton loves seeing patrons make new things from scratch, she’s also noticed an uptick in people using the MakerSpace to repair products. “We had a family who used the leatherworking tools to repair a beanbag chair,” she says. “We’ve had people repair straps on their backpacks or hem a skirt.”
Using the MakerSpace requires a library card from Amarillo Public Library or any other member of the Harrington Library Consortium. Some tools have to be “checked out” from the MakerSpace for use, and some have age restrictions. The long-arm quilting machine is extremely popular and requires an appointment.
7. Start a garden.
This may not be the best time to plant a garden, but it’s early enough to begin thinking about one. The Seed Library at APL is one of its most unique features, courtesy of a partnership with the High Plains Food Bank. Patrons can withdraw up to five seed packets a month from the library. (Like ALT tickets, you don’t have to return them.)
“It’s a great opportunity to try something new. If you’re thinking, ‘I might try a garden but I don’t want to make a big investment in case I’m bad at it,’” then the Seed Library is for you, Clopton says. It includes a variety of flower seeds—which tend to go quickly—along with vegetable seeds that work well in this area, including radishes, carrots, cucumbers, okra and more.
Those seeds are available now and are regularly restocked by the food bank.
8. Find a job.
Almost everyone has a smartphone these days, but some tasks are easier on desktop computers. All five local branches offer public-access computers. “There are certainly times when it’s really nice to have a full-size keyboard and a full-sized monitor,” Clopton says.
These include access to resources that patrons can use to help format a resume, write an effective cover letter and complete online job applications. These resources are also available on the APL’s website. “You log in with your library card number and your PIN and you can get assistance for that job search,” she says.
Patrons can use library computers for 90 minutes at no charge. Free Wi-Fi is also available within the premises.
9. Entertain and inspire children.
Storytime at APL branches has been popular for decades. Every branch offers at least one regular Storytime during the week. These are open for children of all ages and are absolutely free. The East Branch offers a bilingual Storytime on Friday mornings, and the Southwest Branch (6801 SW 45th Ave.) even hosts one for babies and prewalkers (ages 2 and younger) on Tuesday mornings.
“These are just great for kids,” she says. “They’re learning their colors and numbers and letters, but they’re also learning things like how to be part of a group.” Children who attend Storytime learn to sit and listen, or to wait their turn to ask questions. This prepares them for the structure of school—which can be overwhelming without some experience in that kind of setting. “And they can really help parents make the most of their time that they spend reading with kids at home,” Clopton adds.
10. Get social.
Most librarians still like patrons to keep quiet while browsing the stacks, but Amarillo’s library branches can also serve as social gathering places. They host craft groups, book clubs and other social activities. “We have book clubs where people get together and talk about books once a month, and a craft group at our East Branch library. They all just bring their craft projects and sit around and work on their projects and talk together. That’s a great social opportunity,” she says.
The book clubs include one at the Southwest Branch dedicated to inspirational fiction, along with a general-interest book club at the same location. A women’s book club meets at the Northwest Branch (6100 SW Ninth Ave.), focusing on themes like “women in politics” or “women in Texas history.”
Furthermore, the Northwest Branch hosts a free yoga class every second Saturday and the East Branch offers a dance aerobics class every fourth Saturday.
Last year, Amarillo Public Library launched its Memory Café, a resource that offers enrichment activities and social interaction once a month at the Downtown Library. “This is an opportunity for people who are dealing with memory loss to come and take part in enrichment activities in an environment that is nonjudgmental and supportive. Their care partners come as well, so it’s a great opportunity for them to be able to talk with people in the same situation,” Clopton explains. Activities often include music and craft projects for people who can easily become isolated. “And there’s usually a therapy dog there,” she adds.
The Memory Café is free and open to the public, scheduled for the second Saturday of each month at 9 a.m.
Clopton says Amarillo Public Library intends to continue growing its services in the future, whether that means providing access to digital apps or supplying tangible products like seeds and MakerSpace tools. “We’re always looking for new and innovative ideas,” she says. “We’re happy when people are surprised by the library.”
