Ventura County, CA - April 14 to 20 is National Library Week. Beginning Sunday, Ventura County Library joins libraries nationwide in celebrating National Library Week, a time to highlight the value of libraries, librarians and library staff.

Libraries today are more than repositories for books; they are often the heart of their communities, serving as a meeting place for young parents connecting at story time, to small business owners looking to network, and even teens meeting up after school to do homework in an environment that promotes discovery and learning.

In addition to celebrating our physical library locations, this year, Ventura County Library features online resources found in the Ventura County eLibrary. Ventura County eLibrary offers library card holders over 18,000 free downloadable books, 105 free online magazine subscriptions, almost 3 million free downloadable music tracks, and over 12,000 streaming videos. Additionally, newspapers, encyclopedias, and phone books are all available free, online. Language instruction, career and resume help, practice tests, legal forms, and auto repair are just a few more of the resources available online at no charge. Our eLibrary is an online branch that’s open 24/7.

A Ventura County Library card is free. Find out how to get one at: http://www.vencolibrary.org/card. Our Library Catalog is also online; you can check it to find out if a book is available, or to renew a book.

“Service to the community has always been the focus of the library,” says Jackie Griffin, Ventura County Library Director. “While this aspect has never changed, libraries have grown and evolved in how they provide for the needs of every member of their community.” Indeed, librarians work with elected officials, small business owners, students and the public at large to meet the needs of the communities they serve.

Celebrate National Library Week, and you’ll discover the best story in the library is the library.

Your Ventura County Library is available 24/7 at www.vencolibrary.org.