Photo courtesy of John Young
A library doesn’t just house books. It also is a central community space for the exchange of ideas.
The Upper Arlington Public Library branches offer free public meeting rooms for both cultural activities and nonprofit meetings. A wide array of groups and organizations take advantage of these free rooms on a first-come, first-served basis. The following is a small sampling of the groups that use the library’s space.
Related: A look at some of the groups that gather regularly at the library
Historic Haven
The Columbus Barracks Civil War Round Table is where members can discuss and share knowledge of one of the most significant wars in American history.
“We usually meet on the second Thursday of each month, except December, from 7 to 9 p.m. to present and discuss various topics about the American Civil War,” says meeting coordinator John Young. Meetings are held at the Main branch.
The oldest continuous group in central Ohio area has around 30 members, Young says. Meetings are free. Members share a passion for American war history in presentations to their peers.
“Our members have varying degrees of knowledge and interest in the Civil War, but they all do their best to prepare and present interesting and diverse topics pertaining to all aspects of it,” Young says. “We all enjoy learning more about it and sharing what we know with others.”
Fun with Words
Scrabble Lovers of Columbus, founded in 2009, holds weekly open play sessions for fans of the timeless game. Joyce Jacobson is one of these fans.
“I joined Scrabble Lovers of Columbus because I wanted to be part of a group of welcoming and smart people, having fun playing something mentally challenging,” says Jacobson.
On Saturday afternoons and Monday evenings members of all skill levels play at the Upper Arlington Main Library or Kroger in the Brewery District, Jacobson says.
“Our interest is in recruiting new people to play scrabble and, if interested, to join some of our members who play competitively,” Jacobson says.
Deustchland Delivery
Germany Philatelic Society is one of many chapters in a national community of German stamp collectors, jurors, exhibitors and postal historians. Founded in 1949, the Germany Philatelic Society includes around 1,250 members in major cities nationwide. The group meets on the third Sunday of each month at the Tremont Road library.
Elizabeth Tzagournis is a contributing writer. Feedback welcome at gbishop@cityscenemediagroup.com.
