Let's Talk Libraries

One of my favorite authors,
Gregory Maguire, at this said library system.

As I was driving to work this morning, I heard an ad on the radio featuring one of our library systems.  The statistic was shared that they had more visitors to their library system than any of the local professional sporting events COMBINED.  We have three professional sports teams, including football, baseball, and hockey.  This same library system also announced at an author event I attended a few weeks ago that it has the LARGEST author program in the country (or I am sure this is what they said!).

These statistics completely blew my mind and a number of things began going through my mind . . .

1. Since when did libraries start taking out ads, advertising their services?!?  I have never heard or seen one before and I was pleasantly surprised by it!
2. I feel so lucky to have these amazing programs in my community!  I frequent my libraries at least once a week, both the system mentioned above as well as a local city library.  
3. Libraries offer so much more today then they did when I was a child.  Resources not only include books, but now free use of computers, classes, book clubs, videos, audios, and my personal favorite, author events.
4. I am going to be so sad to be leaving such a wonderful literary community.  In less than one year, my family will be re-locating to a new city in a new state, and I worry that I am going to go into literary withdrawal.

I then began thinking about how much a library has been a part of my life, all my life.  One of my favorite childhood memories involved my grandmother taking my cousin and I to the library to find new books to bring home, followed by an ice cream cone (usually bubble gum)!!  As I grew, the library came in handy for school projects, research, and a quiet place to study.  Today, I frequently use the library for videos and graphic novels, both of which I don't necessarily want to spend the money or cannot afford to spend the money on.  Despite our family's frequent moves, particularly over the last ten years, the library has been my one solid.  Once I find my local library and have my library card, I feel like I can adjust to this new home, no matter how temporary it may be.  The library is more than a resource to me; it has become a lifestyle.  After hearing the statistics, the numbers tell me that I am not alone!

Are you a library patron?  What is your favorite aspects of the library?  Do you find yourself seeing more and more advertising for your local libraries?

For those wondering, click on over here to find out which library system I am talking about with the statistics above!