I vividly remember going to the library with my mother and brother when I was a kid. The big stone building in the center of town had a very grand feeling that demanded respect. Other services were in the same area – town hall, a summer camp, the post office and stores for basic goods. It was definitely a community.
Those trips instilled in me a love of books and information. Oddly, I didn’t care to read until I was an adult. I loved to write, but I was not much of a reader.
Once I caught on to the joys of reading, though, I could always be found at the library. For a long time, I lived five miles from a university library, my favorite place on a rainy day. In good weather, I rode my bike through the countryside to get there.
Come to find out, libraries are eco-friendly – they are recycling and community hubs. You should be using yours.
> To borrow a book saves resources to print, store, handle and ship a new one.
> To read periodicals in the library also saves the same resources.
> If you need information to bring home, you can make copies of the pages you need, saving paper.
> You can borrow audio books, music and movies. Any time you borrow something, you avoid the need for it to be manufactured again.
> You can do long-distance research in the reference section, saving travel time, money and fuel. Larger libraries offer online research you can access from home.
> Our library has a table in the entry way with free magazines on it. I always bring my old, unneeded magazines here and usually pick up some others to read or cut up for artwork.
> We also have a room of used books that are available for a small donation. When room runs out in the library, older books get recycled here. Donations that the library can’t use are also put in this room.
> You can recycle/donate your old movies at your library.
> Most libraries have internet access. If you don’t need to be online all the time, you can use the library instead, saving money on a computer and internet access at home. You are also, again, saving on the manufacture of a computer. My cousin does this, checking her email and Facebook a couple times a week.
> Libraries are community centers. There are bulletins boards for all sorts of opportunities, and you can meet other like-minded folks.
> Volunteer. Libraries are usually under-funded and under-staffed. Volunteering is a great way to do your share in your community and meet wonderful bookworms and info junkies.
- What books are you reading?
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