As temperatures continue to fall and the dreaded “s” word creeps into the weather forecast, Anne Arundel County Public Library is helping to ensure that everyone stays warm this winter. Nine library locations – Busch Annapolis, Deale, Discoveries at the Mall, Edgewater, Linthicum, Maryland City at Russett, Odenton and Severn – are now equipped with community coat racks for the collection of gently used and no-longer-needed winter coats. Those seeking a coat or a cozy winter accessory are welcome to browse the racks and take what they need.
In addition to coats, branches have received donations of gloves, mittens, scarves and in one case, even sleeping bags! Each branch has individual needs and restrictions on what they can accept, so please call ahead if you are unsure about what to donate. Non-winter clothing and accessories are not needed at this time.
And if you’re wondering if the coat racks are being used – the answer is yes! A staff member from the Busch Annapolis Library noticed, “This year especially, clothing has been going extremely quickly, which is great to see. If five coats are there in the morning, they're probably gone by the afternoon.” Discoveries at the Mall is having the same, albeit wonderful, problem. A staff member there commented, “We definitely need donations. We haven’t been able to keep them on the rack for long.” She noted a particular need for kid-sized items.
If you haven’t donated yet but want to help, there’s still time. Most libraries plan to keep their coat racks up throughout the winter months, or at least until temperatures begin to rise. Until then, please consider dropping off your lightly used winter coats and accessories so they can find a new home.
Thank you for helping us keep our community warm this winter!