Last September, I joined the Board of Trustees for the Monroe County Library System (MCLS).

What is the Monroe County Library System? The MCLS is an association of independent public libraries. MCLS members receive many benefits, like a shared catalog, shipping and delivery services so patrons can borrow materials from any library in the system, outreach services, admin and technical support, and more. Central Library in downtown Rochester is the operational hub of the MCLS; the Rochester Public Library is comprised of Central Library and 10 city library branches, all part of the MCLS.

As an obsessive reader and someone who’s always down for an adventure, I decided to visit every library in the system. That’s 31 libraries! I began in late September and finished in early March. In October, my client Celebrate City Living did a theme called “Celebrate: Libraries” on our Instagram, so I visited all 11 city library locations in just one month!

It’s been a fascinating journey to explore all these beautiful libraries that are so vital to our communities. Every library has its own personality and quirks. It was a joy to see the amazing work library staff are doing across Monroe County! I shared my journey on Instagram using #EmilyExploresMCLS, but thought it would be valuable to recap the experience in one convenient blog post.

I’ll be sharing my library experiences in the order in which I visited. My husband joined me for as many of the visits as his schedule allowed, so if I say “we,” that’s who I’m referring to. Without further ado, let’s dive in!