“My earliest memories include highlights of going to the big public library every week with my brother and my mom.” Seeing the tall rows of books that went on and on was an impressive sight, Carol recalled. She remembered that they had to be on their best behavior to be able to check out books. She would always choose a huge stack and her mother would have to whittle it down to only three books to” leave some for the other children to read.” These formative memories bring lessons of borrowing and returning things, taking good care of things that are borrowed and the terrifying idea of having to pay a fine for overdue books out of her allowance.
Carol believes that libraries are more important than ever right now because of the change in technology. A librarian is not just a nice lady who checks out books but someone who can help you download books to a phone or a kindle, someone who can help you fill out a job application online, or do research on the internet. They must be highly trained in technology and stay current on accessing all forms of media. Technology makes libraries more important for their role in coaching and navigation.
Carol read all her favorite childhood books to her own daughter who is now an avid reader. Because of long commutes, they both enjoy audiobooks. One can check out audio books from the library on CD or subscribe to the LIBBY app for checking them out to your phone from various libraries. Carol likes her Audible subscription which has a fee but she can get current books and not have to wait for them. She said, “I can hear an interview with someone who has just written a book, and go get it on Audible right away. If I like it, I often buy the print copy so I can refer back to it or loan it to a friend.”
There are so many ways to enjoy books. Your librarian can help you get started. It is especially important to bring children to a library. Help them know that a library is not just a place at their school but that it is an important part of a town and that grown-ups love books too. Even a small library like ours will seem large and wonderous to them. For many of us, that early childhood step of choosing your own books from a library forges a path of lifelong learning and delight in the art of storytelling.
Library news:
Thank you to everyone who participated in the trash clean-up. It surely brings awareness to the volume of trash that has been thoughtlessly pitched out of vehicles and it makes our roadsides look so much better!
April 22 is SWAP day at the library.
Stay tuned for BIG news about this year’s Friends of the Library event coming up in May.