For Love of the Library

As we come to the end of National Library Week, I thought I would make a little post about libraries in general and include a bit of commentary from a library employee perspective :).

Libraries are awesome. They are a very important part of a democratic society -- a fact I didn't really think about until I was in library school. A good library (particularly public libraries in this case) will have a variety of information, even if that information might offend some people. Consider the fact that there are mulitple books on the shelf in the library where I work that give tips on how to grow certain illegal substances. While I personally may not agree with the views and information made available in books in the library, I recognize that having those materials is a sign of a democracy. People are allowed to choose.

Libraries are awesome. They are, in a way, an equalizer. All people can use a public library. You don't have to drive a certain car, earn a certain amount of money, have a certain number of children, etc. If you are a resident of an area, you can generally obtain library privelegs. If you are just passing through, you can still benefit from some of the services a public library offers, such as computer usage. And a public library provides access to things some people can't otherwise afford. How awesome is that!?!

Libraries are awesome. They provide hours of entertainment and learning through books, movies, CDs, and a bunch of other things.

So the next time there is a tax increase suggested on behalf of the libraries (again, mainly public libraries in this case), you should see it as a good thing. It is really the only way public libraries get any funding. And yes, I recognize it can be difficult to watch taxes go higher. But think of the benefits. Perhaps for the price of one book brand new at Barnes & Noble, you are creating a better chance to have access to thousands upon thousands of books -- not to mention all the other materials you can borrow from your library. For the price of one book! Talk about an amazing return on an investment!

Okay, so I'm done "selling" the library.

Here are a couple of things you may not realize. Things that just go with the territory of the public library ;).

When you handle a lot of books, your hands dry out faster. Plus, library books are dirty (they are, after all, handled by a lot of different people). So when you handle a large volume of library books, you can just feel it on your hands. I wash my hands more when I work in the public library. It was through working in the public library that I discovered how you can literally feel when your hands are dirty. Now that I'm back working in a public library after about 6 years, I am reminded of these tidbits :). Thought I would share them. I simply have to moisturize my hands more :). Extra washing also equals extra dryness, along with the dryness that comes with handling the books.

I'm sure there is a lot more I could say about libraries. I just think the public library is awesome. I love that I can rent movies and check out books for free. I love it. In fact, I just returned The Dark Knight, the newest Batman movie. I'd never seen it, it came through the library, so I checked it out :). How awesome is that?