I have had an affinity for libraries ever since I can remember. There's something special, an almost reverance, about them, in a happy, chaotic way.
My first memories of libraries were from elemenary school in New York (state, not city). Every week, we had certain days for different activities: art, music, and the library. On library day, we had 30 to 45 minutes to look through the books and choose one or two to bring home for the next week. Just think: being a child who has an adult telling us when to get up, what to eat, when to go to bed, but being able to pick our own book to enjoy for the next week or two. Is that great? You bet it is!
I'm sure that there was a public library in Yorktown, where I lived during my elementary school years, but I really don't remember it. But I do remember the school library fondly, devouring book after book.
The summer after fraduating elementary school, we moved to a small town in Connecticut, tucked in the northeast corner. It was an older two story house on two acres of land, and with a library within walking distance. The old library building now houses a local historical museum, with a larger library in another part of town, no longer within walking distance of our old house, at least judging from what I've found online.
When we lived in Thompson, my sister and I would head for the library, sometimes with our younger brother in tow.
During the school year, there was plenty of time spent in the research room, doing homework, looking up stuff for reports, and more.
Summertime, though, the library held events for kids, making reading fun, with parties and prizes, depending on how many books we had read over the summer. It was not uncommon for groups of kids comparing notes on which books were worth a read.
The only down side of the library, at the time (mid- to late-1960s) was that the library closed at noon on Saturdays, and didn't reopen until Monday morning. Dad and I would run errands Saturday mornings. Usually, around 11:15, I'd start asking the time, and Dad knew what I wanted, and would try to hurry. I'm not sure how often we'd get home by 11:45, and I'd run as fast as my legs would carry me to get to the library, find a book or two, and check them out before the noon closing.
After three years, we moved to the next town over, and discovered the Woodstock library. The only bad thing was that it wasn't in walking distance.
Fast forward to Florida. The city I now live in (with part of my family) has upgraded their public library at least four or five times since I moved here.
During one upgrade, when my kids were young, our lives were undergoing some upheavals. The one constant that we looked forward to was our weekly trips to the library. Every Wednesday, we'd head out after dinner, and hang out there until its 8:30 closing, then swing through McDonald's for ice cream cones.
It was during this upgrade that I discovered Gloria Naylor's The Women of Brewster Place, along with several other goodies, while the kids made their own reading memories.
During another renovation, this one from the late 1990s to the beginning of 2001, the library building underwent a total overhaul. But, of course, the city leaders knew that they didn't want to deprive the citizens of a library; books, staff, everything and everyone were temporarily moved to the lower level of a nearby mall. During this shift, with stacks of fiction, non-fiction, children's books, and research areas all jumbled around, everyone searching for their favorite books, it was impossible not to stumble across new books and authors we might have otherwise overlooked.
It was during one of these mall-library trips that I discovered Anne Lamott's amazing and wonderful book Traveling Mercies: Some Thoughts on Faith. Until then, I'd never heard of Anne Lamott; now, I've got the better part of a shelf full of her books.
Note: Traveling Mercies is followed by Plan B: Further Thoughts on Faith and Grace (Eventually): Thoughts on Faith. These are filled with essays by a left-wing Christian writer; her writings are totally relatable.
One of my sons and I still try to get to the library at least once a week, where we pick up a couple of books, movies on DVD and blue-ray, CDS, and more. We both have great memories of libraries, and are making more great library memories.
But why, exactly, are libraries so important? Sure, you can borrow books, and in many libraries now, movies, audio books, music CDs, and more, thus saving you money. I've heard that some libraries even have a line at the end of the reciept for when the books are due back that reads, "You saved (this much money) borrowing materials this year."
But there's so much more...so many reasons libraries are important. In her book Grace (Eventually), Anne Lamott has a piece titled "Steinbeck Country." In this piece, she mentions that California's governor at the time had planned to close several public libraries in Salinas. This, of course, did not set well with the reading (and writing) public; the protests helped pursuade the higher-ups to keep the libraries open.
Many libraries have after-school programs for kids so that they have a safe place to hang out, and even get help with homework. This is especially important for kids whose parents work and who worry about kids heading home to an empty house.
There are computers with internet; this is useful for those who can't afford a computer (including those who can't afford to get a computer fixed), and who need to go online for job searches, online classes, or to simply keep in touch via email.
Another plus is a variety of informal classes to enrich the community. The local library where I live - the Barbara S. Ponce Public Library, in Pinellas Park, Florida - offers American Sign Language classes, as well as an upcoming financial wellness class, reading time for kids, afternoon movies, computer classes, and more.
During tax season, AARP has tax preparers helping people file their taxes free of charge at several of the libraries in Pinellas County, Florida; I imagine they offer this service at other libraries, too.
There are plenty of homeless people in the area; the library offers a safe, air conditioned place to hang out during the day, where they have access to computers (job searches, housing searches, etc).
Sure, there are books one can borrow at the library. But it is so much more. A town without a library is not a place I would want to live.
