Another busy year at the Boyle County Public Library saw the library expand its ability to serve the community through the addition of new programs, services and resources.
We invite you to browse a review of some of the library’s highlights of 2025, and we invite you to visit the library often to see what we have to offer you.
January
The library launched our Hometown Hub delivery and pickup service at the Farmers National Bank branch in Perryville. Patrons can now select the bank as a pickup site for their holds and return library items either inside the bank or to the book drop in the parking lot. A second Hometown Hub location was added at the Farmers branch in Junction City in April.
Our adult services department launched two new programs that have become increasingly popular throughout the year: the All Abilities Club, which offers activities for adults with physical, developmental and/or intellectual disabilities, and ASD Friends & Allies, a social group for adults with autism spectrum disorder.
Additionally, Katie, our Outreach Services Associate, was announced as the winner of the Kentucky Public Library Association’s annual Bookmobile Outreach Award. She accepted the award at the KPLA’s annual association conference in February.
February
Two Saturdays of family events tied to popular books and movies, “Dog Man” and “Wicked,” drew youth to the library, as did a Valentine’s Day Nerf battle for young adults.
The Community Love Resource Fair drew more than 100 visitors and about 20 community partners despite a weather-related postponement.
Ephraim McDowell Health Foundation presented the library with an automated external defibrillator at the foundation’s Happy Heart Day luncheon, giving the library two AEDs to serve people experiencing cardiac distress.
March
A visit from award-winning graphic novel writer David Arnold, who spoke about his newest work, “Luminous Beings,” drew dozens of teens and adults to the library on a Thursday afternoon.
The BCPL on the Road program made its debut in Junction City, where it has gained a foothold with activities ranging from crafts to game nights.
Meanwhile, a March Madness bracket-style food drive to benefit Shepherds House allowed patrons to vote for their favorite book genre by donating food items. Library patrons donated more than 360 items during the three-week campaign.
April
The library’s inaugural Literacy Bell Celebration of Reading drew dozens of families to Constitution Square Historic Site on a Saturday morning to mark young readers having read their first book on their own. Children got to ring the meetinghouse bell and signed the “Book of Readers” at the event celebrated by the library staff, Boyle County Judge Executive Trille Bottom and Danville Mayor James Atkins.
The Youth Services department’s Minecraft-themed spring break week series was a massive hit, with programs filled to capacity and other activities taking place daily, and the Adult Services department worked with FNB Investment Services to host a document shredding truck for Earth Day.
May
The Summer Reading Program launched a summer in which some 1,200 patrons came to “Color Our World” with a colorful kickoff event featuring high-flying professional wrestlers, activities, inflatables, crafts, a sensory room and a handful of community partners, all of which showcased the library as a dynamic community hub and demonstrated that reading can be as engaging and entertaining as any championship bout.
Sensory kits were created and made available for patrons who may feel overwhelmed at large events, and they made their debut at the Summer Reading Kickoff and are available both at library events and for checkout.
The library was festooned with decorations for Summer Reading, with splashes of color large and small throughout the building that reinforced the Summer Reading theme.
June
The library teamed with Ponderosa Speedway for one of the highlights of the Summer Reading Program, the inaugural Reading and Racecars event at the speedway. The event featured what was almost certainly the world’s first bookmobile race, which was won by the library’s own Lottie Ellis Bookmobile.
Airport Storytime was a success for the second consecutive year, offering a unique behind-the-scenes look at the Danville-Boyle County Airport and opportunities for children to interact with real airplanes.
And the first of two Kitten Cafes that were also part of SRP drew more than 300 cat-lovers to the library.
The library’s reading garden got a makeover thanks to the work of our building and grounds team and a dedicated volunteer. The refresh included pressure washing, new flower pots and holly trees.
July
Hundreds of visitors joined us in Junction City for our first Books and Bodyslams event, which featured the wrestlers of the Elite Wrestling Alliance in a program that was the perfect blend of high-octane fun and literacy, proving that a love for reading can be found in the most unexpected places.
Hundreds visited the library to celebrate the county’s favorite rabbit, Benjamin Bunny, on his second birthday.
The Summer Reading Program continued with Thursday FunDays, which were supported by the Boyle County and Danville schools, and Starlight Movie Nights, which were sponsored by Community Trust Bank.
Two staff members, Mara and Morgan, were chosen for participation in the Foundational Leader-ship Program offered by the Kentucky Department of Libraries and Archives. The program is designed to empower individuals to lead effectively within their libraries, regardless of their current position.
August
As Summer Reading wrapped up, the library ramped up its presence among students in Boyle County and Danville schools and their families by appearing at back-to-school nights at nearly every school in the two districts.
The bookmobile could also be found at the Soul of 2nd Street Festival and Balloons over the Bluegrass.
September
The library’s newest department, the Story Center, celebrated its first anniversary and welcomed hundreds of visitors to Grayson’s Tavern during the Constitution Square Festival, where guests got their first glimpses of the Story Center’s new logo and branding.
The Story Center staff has led dozens of programs such as historical walking tours, preservation workshops, and family history harvests. The center has coordinated closely with the many groups engaged with local history in our county, including the Forkland Community Center, where a digitization station was installed.
The Story Center received the inaugural Historically Bold Award from the Danville-Boyle County Chamber of Commerce at its annual awards gala.
Within the library stacks, work continued with the upgrade of adult fiction, focusing on weeding to keep the collection current and engaging. Perhaps as a result, the Friends of the Library book sale cart has seen brisk sales.
October
The annual Library Trick or Treat was supersized with the addition of life-size prehistoric creatures from Dinosaur Encounter. More than 1,000 people came to the event, which included community partners such as The Gladys Project, Ephraim McDowell Health and other organizations that provided treat stations for our guests.
The library partnered with Centre College professor Laura Chinchilla and over 40 of her advanced Spanish students to offer a series of bilingual offerings over the month. Students translated the library’s program calendar to help create a Spanish-language version, worked with youth services to host a pair of bilingual Storytime programs and presented Día de Muertos (Day of the Dead) program.
Staff members and volunteers put a scare into patrons during a Haunted Night at the Library, and our outreach staff took patrons behind the scenes of the Hustonville Haunted House in Junction City.
November
The library’s second Literacy Bell Celebration of Reading was a great success, promoting the efforts of dozens of youngsters who had reached the important milestone of reading a book on their own. Once again, library staff were joined by elected officials to celebrate our new readers’ accomplishments.
The Story Center kicked off its America250 programming with a lecture by retired Col. James Johnson, who has authored and edited several books on the Revolutionary War.
In partnership with Pioneer Playhouse, the Story Center held a community discussion on “Iron Baby Angel,” a 1954 novel set in Danville that will be adapted for the stage by the playhouse next summer.
December
More than 500 people attended the annual Pictures with Santa event, where they could pose for photos with Santa Claus and take part in other activities.
Santa also visited the library for two Storytime sessions later in the month, giving our young patrons another chance to get some face time and get their requests in.
The library was decorated for Christmas in plenty of time for Santa’s visits, and lights were added to the Third Street side of the building and the reading garden in addition to the decorations inside the building.
And the bookmobile rolled through the streets of Danville, Junction City and Perryville at Christmas parades in each community for the second straight year, underscoring the library’s mission to serve all of Boyle County.
