In May 2007, libraries in Josephine County were closed due to lack of county government funding.
In September 2007, committed community members formed Josephine Community Libraries, Inc., a nongovernmental nonprofit organization dedicated to reopening and operating the libraries in Josephine County.
On December 20, 2008, the Grants Pass library opened again. On September 5, the Illinois Valley library was reopened, on November 7, the Williams library was reopened, and on December 19, the Wolf Creek branch reopened.
Become a member
Use your PayPal account or major debit or credit card to make a secure online membership contribution.
Be part of the library sustainability solution! Have regular monthly contributions automatically deducted from your checking account. Complete the automatic monthly payment form (pdf, 266kb) and send it with your first month's check to Josephine Community Libraries, P.O. Box 1684, Grants Pass, OR 97528.
You can also give the gift of library membership. Complete and send in this gift membership form (pdf, 263kb).
Learn about other ways to help reopen and operate the libraries in Josephine County.
JCLI Newsletter
Read the January 29, 2010 issue of the JCLI e-newsletter (pdf, 46kb).
To be added to the e-newsletter mailing list, send an e-mail to info@josephinelibrary.org.
Library hours
Grants Pass branch (NEW hours as of February 1, 2010):
- Tuesdays and Thursdays: 2-7 pm
- Wednesdays and Fridays: 11-4 pm
- Saturdays: 12-4 pm
- Sundays and Monday: Closed
Illinois Valley branch (as of September 5, 2009)
- Wednesdays and Fridays: 11-3 pm
- Saturdays: 12-4 pm
Williams branch (as of November 7, 2009)
- Tuesdays and Wednesdays: 1:30-4 pm
- Saturdays: 12-4 pm
Wolf Creek branch (as of December 19, 2009)
- Tuesdays and Thursdays: 3-6 pm
- Saturdays: 1-4 pm
See branch phone numbers, addresses, and directions.
Children's programs at the library
Here's the weekly schedule of children's programs at the Grants Pass library:
- K9 Reading Buddies, for students in grades K-3, every Tuesday, 4-5 pm
- Little Bear Storytime, for preschoolers, every Wednesday, 11-11:30 am
- NEW TIME! Family Storytime, for families of all ages, every other Saturday continuing February 6, 1-1:30 pm
- NEW! Saturday Children's Matinee, every other Saturday, 1-1:30 pm.
Featured will be short children's films connected with a book.
January 30: Chicka Chicka Boom Boom
February 13: Harry the Dirty Dog
For more information about any of these programs, contact volunteer Children's Services Manager Debbie Bennighof, 476-0571.
Love of Reading Day
Mark your calendars (and your kids' calendars!) for 12-3 pm Saturday February 13 — Love of Reading Day at the Grants Pass children's library! Clifford the Dog will make a special guest appearance, storytime will feature Clifford stories, and children will do a “Clifford” craft. Teens are also invited to the teen room that afternoon to talk about one of their favorite books at the Teen Book Share. Refreshments will be provided.
For information about this and other children's programs, contact volunteer Children's Services Manager Debbie Bennighof.
OSU Master Gardener Mini's
In the OSU Master Gardener Mini-series at the Grants Pass children's library, kids get to expand and enrich their reading with hands-on learning about plants and gardening. Every month there is a Wednesday and Friday storytime with accompanying activities.
February 17 and 19 – Hearts & Flowers
March 10 an 19 –The Magic of Bees
April 14 and 23 – Secrets of the Seed
May – Growing, Growing, Growing
June – Make a Splash
The Wednesday sessions take place from 11-11:30 am and the Friday sessions take place from 11-1 pm.
Check the children's library for the dates and times for all the Master Gardener Mini's taking place each month through June. You can also contact coordinator Ruta Warren, 541-476-0317.
Grants Pass hours grow from 20 to 24 hours per week
Starting Tuesday February 2, the Grants Pass Library is now open four more hours per week, making a new total of 24 hours per week. The new hours are 2-7 pm Tuesdays and Thursdays, 11-4 pm Wednesdays and Fridays, with Saturdays remaining the same at 12-4 pm.
"Following the Harvest" CD release party on Art Night
Come to Art Night at the Grants Pass Library, 6-9 pm on First Friday February 5, for the CD Release Party for Jeni Foster's latest work entitled " Following the Harvest." This CD is a companion recording for Jeni's new lecture and music program, " A Mighty Hard Road: Songs of America's Migrant Farmworkers ."
Jeni's specialty is combining songs with history and literature. She has presented workshops for the Portland Folklore Society at its annual Singtime Frolics. Beginning in 1999, she spent 10 years as a Chautauqua Scholar with the Oregon Council for the Humanities presenting programs to nonprofit organizations around the state. Since moving to Grants Pass, Jeni has been a soloist with the RCC Chorus and the Three Rivers Chorale. She has presented programs for a variety of organizations, including "Dine and Discover" in Ashland and the Mule Deer Foundation in Reno, and has been a lecturer for the Southern Oregon University Elderhostel program. Jeni just happens to also be a volunteer for Josephine Community Libraries!
Visual artists for Art Night at the library are Nancy and Wally Coleman , who will show their pastel, oil, and acrylic paintings. For more information, contact Art Night at the Library coordinator Kevin Widdison.
New materials at the libraries
Here's a small sampling of the many new materials that have been added to our libraries for your reading pleasure.
- "Sizzle" by Julie Garwood
- "Not My Daughter" by Barbara Delinsky
- "Impact" by Douglas Preston
- "Deeper than the Dead" by Tami Hoag
- "Full Plate Diet" by Stuart Seale
- "Swan Thieves" by Elizabeth Kostova
To find and hold these materials using your library card number and password, click Library Catalog at the top of this Web page.
Game Nights at the Library
Game Nights happen every second Saturday (next one is February 13 and every fourth Tuesday (next one is February 23). Both Games Nights are 5-9 pm. Please enter the library through the back door by the parking lot.
The free Game Nights are designed primarily for adults and teens, although well-chaperoned children are welcome. Board games (not electronic or computer games) are featured, and include Scrabble, chess, checkers, Settlers of Catan, Backgammon, card games, and more.
For more information, or to join the Game Night e-mail list, contact Joyce McPartland, 472-9361.
Sunday Matinee Series
The Grants Pass Museum of Art and Josephine Community Libraries have teamed up to present a series of Sunday movie matinees in the Ben Bones Room at the Grants Pass library. Admission is free. Refreshments are provided by the Museum for a small donation. Please enter by the back door from the parking lot. Upcoming films, each starting at 2 pm, are:
January 17: Frida
January 31: Kite Runner
February 21: Big Fish
March 7: Smoke Signals
March 21: The Searchers
For more information, contact the Museum at 479-3290 or Cynthia Charat at 476-7665.
Welcome UCAN VISTA member Paul Grindrod
Our newest staff member, UCAN VISTA member Paul Grindrod just joined the JCLI team on January 19. Paul will be working as our resource development specialist for the next 12 months. He will write grants and work on other initiatives to help us continue raising the funds we need to keep our libraries open and growing.
Paul comes to us as a result of a UCAN VISTA grant awarded to JCLI.
Online databases available for research and browsing
Through the Josephine Community Libraries (JCLI) Online Research service, library card holders now have access to thousands of online journals, articles, magazines, newspapers, reference materials, and more!
Access to most of these resources require JCLI library card. Go to the Online Research page and then click the link you want. In the page that appears, enter the barcode number from your library card to gain access to these online databases.
To get a JCLI library card, bring a photo ID and another form of address ID, such as a recent utility bill, to the Grants Pass or Illinois Valley branch during open hours. Pick up a Library Card Registration form at the JCLI Membership desk. Take your completed form, along with any books you want to check out, to the Circulation desk. The volunteer will update your information in the computer and either update your old SOLIS card with JCLI information or issue you a new JCLI library card.
Upcoming board meetings
The next regular board meetings are scheduled for 6 pm on Thursday January 21 and Thursday February 18. Board meetings are held the third Thursday of each month, with occasional specially scheduled meetings. Location is the Grants Pass branch library, 200 NW C Street, corner of Fifth and C in Grants Pass.
About us
The mission of Josephine Community Libraries is to open and operate the libraries in Josephine County for generations to come.
For more details:
- JCLI Business Plan (pdf, 287kb), adopted November 2009
- Report from the Library Vision Workshop (pdf, 191kb), June 2008