A little love for libraries
February isn’t just a month for Valentine’s Day and the resultant boom in chocolate, restaurant and floral expenditures! Or for the agonizing stress of the long-married, the newly coupled, or the person alone: each feeling the pressure of a “day” for romance in different ways.
No, February offers a much lower stress celebration of love as well….it’s Love Your Library month! No pressure, you don’t have to bring your librarians chocolate (although that never goes amiss, in my experience). Show your love for the amazing organization known as the Public Library simply by using it.
If you’re a long time library user, you won’t need to be convinced of its astounding value. But if you’re thinking, why would I??, well then, this is for you. What are the benefits of using your public library?
- it’s free (well, you’re already paying for it in your taxes so use it!)
- there are books, magazines, dvds, cds, audiobooks, computers, wireless access, activities, programs, book clubs, speakers and more…. all free
- there are also subscription databases, ebooks and more electronic resources available from home or in the library, with your library card…again, all free
- librarians can help you figure out how to do your research, homework, etc.
- librarians can also help you find that next great read! Yes, they will advise on novels you might like!
- it’s a community space and you don’t have to buy anything to feel welcome
And of course, there are always more benefits to think of. Share your favourite things about your library — what do you like? What do you use? How much money has your library saved you this year?
As I mentioned in a previous post, reading fiction is actually a health promoting practice. How better to fill your reading prescription than by visiting your local library? It’s a low-risk way to try out new titles that you might like. If you don’t like them, just return them and try again. Low cost and easy to access! Fiction — storytelling — is a really important part of the human experience and libraries are here to facilitate our access to it. Sometimes libraries are the only place that a person or a family has to feel comfortable, to share a literary experience, and have access to digital resources. Support your local library this month (and all year!), show it some love and keep it going. Experience what it has to offer and if it seems like a good deal to you, show your support by volunteering, joining a library Friends group, or writing a letter to the local paper or municipality in praise of its services. Most importantly, use the resources and services that have been so painstakingly created by library staff. They will appreciate it. You will receive the benefits.
Related posts:
