A few weeks ago my social media sites (Facebook and Twitter) were bursting with posts responding to an online article from Forbes by a contributor who suggested “Amazon Should Replace Local Libraries to Save Taxpayers Money.” The ill-informed contributor (and Forbes) was blasted on social media with posts heralding the multitude of services public libraries perform. Thankfully, Forbes removed the offensive article and social media seems to have quieted (at least when it comes to libraries anyway). However, a couple of recent experiences have me waxing nostalgic so I wanted to weigh in and proclaim my love and support for public libraries, librarians and the wonderful services they provide.
Libraries bring so many memories to mind. Most of them are good. As a child, I spent a lot of time at the library. There was a branch library three blocks from my house and I used to walk there several times per week. My local library was the place that introduced me to mysteries (Nancy Drew, Agatha Christie, etc.). If you ask me where I was during 9-11, I was in the library at the University of Notre Dame, preparing for a presentation I was supposed to do for class that evening. The librarian found me wandering around and told me they were closing the library and that my evening classes were cancelled. Fast forward a decade to a time when I was working on my Masters of Fine Arts at Seton Hill University. I went to the reference librarian and asked about fast acting poisons for a short story I was working on. I assured her my request was purely for research purposes and recall the librarian stating she was accustomed to odd requests from the Writing Popular Fiction group (I can only imagine what those romance writers asked). Even now, I use public libraries for book research, getting copies of articles in journals, reserving meeting space, or as a great place to find older copies of books or sometimes it’s just a quiet place to sit and write.
Decades have passed since I used to walk to the library. The branch library in the neighborhood where I grew up has moved. The new branch library is nice. It’s shiny and new and has comfy chairs for sitting and reading along with a small coffee bar (anyone else remember the old days when no food or drinks were allowed in the library). Not that long ago, I was home visiting my dad, and I decided to check out the new branch. The librarian told me about a wonderful program they have for homebound seniors where they drop off audio books and movies monthly free of charge. It warmed my heart to know that even though my dad could no longer see to read, he could still travel the world and explore the furthest reaches of the universe and beyond by listening to books; maybe even some of my books.
