Feb. 23—Data from the U.S. Census Bureau shows that, between 2019 and 2021, the number of people primarily working from home tripled from 5.7% — roughly 9 million people — to 17.9%, roughly 27.6 million people.

Those who have left the traditional workplace can find space to work outside of the home with the help of a free, local program hosted at the Berea branch of the Madison County Library.

On every other Wednesday morning, the library provides coffee, a space to work — including both a quiet room and a room where people may interact for coworking — plus, printing services (at library cost of 10 cents per page for black and white,50 cents for color copies) and free scanning and fax services.

"There's a lot of people who do work from home, own their own businesses, or are working a side hustle to make extra money," explained Adult Program Coordinator Katlyn Ramsey. "In some ways, it's a new concept, and it is something that's growing."

So far, Ramsey estimates 8-12 people have been coming, with the population steadily growing. She said that it is an open-door program, where people can come and go as they please. They are also free to bring their own food to have, in addition to whatever coffee and snacks the library provides that day.

She feels like this program can bring people together, saying, "It [the program] lets you connect with other people in the community who are doing the same thing and has the potential to build that part of our community."

Ramsey said that the program was initiated by a local, saying that it began when Laura Wick expressed a desire to create a local coworking space.

Wick has worked as a freelance event planner for many years and is also known as the founder of Berea Makers Market and a co-owner of Hopscotch Home Co. She has helped launch other local events like Moonlight Market on College Square. She is also vocal in her desire to have a local coworking space.

"Connecting in person can be tough, and I wish there were more opportunities for that in Berea. I hope someday we'll have a permanent space dedicated to coworking, but was thrilled when Katlyn at the Berea Library was interested in adding a meetup to the adult program offerings," she explained.

Wick and her current business partner, Nicole Cress, have found that one of their biggest challenges has been finding affordable workspace. Wick hopes that the city will someday add a coworking space as an economic development strategy to evolve with the changing workspace, which she argues would be beneficial since more people are working from home or operating their own businesses.

However, in addition to affordability, Wick expressed that human connection is still important for those people, saying, "The workplace is evolving quickly, but we still need human connection and a sense of belonging to be healthy, and that's something a space could help foster. I think opportunities to meet new people and connect via shared experiences are so needed, now that we spend so much time online and especially for people who don't have a traditional workplace."

Those who wish to begin attending the coworking program can come by the Berea branch of the Madison County library on March 8 from 9 a. m. to 12 p. m. or drop in on a later date. Those dates can be found on the library's online calendar and the paper calendars available at the front desk.