More Than Just Books

How's this for proof that libraries are not dying: on a cold, snowy Tuesday morning on which pretty much everywhere else in the county had decided to close, the library was open. And not only was it open--it was packed. The thought process must go something like "Oh shit, snow. Must panic until toilet paper and library books are acquired."

Although it's more than that. I didn't fully realize the impact that libraries have on communities, despite being a semi-regular library patron for all of my reading life. In just a few weeks, I've helped a man apply for a job; showed some elderly women how to send and receive text messages; introduced a kid to a series I loved as a kid; walked a lady through the basics of downloading books to her new eReader. The library sometimes stays open as a "warming center" for the homeless and those without heat. Parents and grandparents use the library as a sort of daycare center for not-too-young children. Thanks to library programming, you can expose your infants and toddlers to books while learning early literacy techniques for yourself; bring your family to a matinee movie viewing; drop your teenager at an Anime Club meeting; learn how to use a computer or write grants. The list goes on. The library is full of characters, for sure. I've had people drooling on the desk, trying to hold my hand, calling just to complain about the whims of the fashion industry. I get thanked by dozens and dozens of strangers every day.

I'd say public libraries are pretty damn cool, and they ain't going away anytime soon.

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