Libraries: Not Just for (Book) Lovers
The Sudbury Town Crier
For Library Lovers’ Month, a heart-shaped letter to all the libraries I’ve loved before.
Feb 9, 2021, Amy Wilson Sheldon, Special to the Crier —
The Minuteman Library Network has been a godsend for me since March 2020. I’ve been able to use the Minuteman site to reserve novels that would be hard to find via many retailers. I’ve downloaded bestsellers to my Kindle. I’ve even gone really meta and watched a documentary about the New York Public Library via Kanopy, the on-demand streaming service that is accessible with your Minuteman library card.
But, as “library people” like to say, libraries are More Than Books. February is actually Library Lovers’ Month, so in the spirit of St. Valentine, I’d like to point out some of libraries’ most attractive qualities:
Libraries (may) enhance productivity
I loved the library as a child, but it turns out it was also an exceptional place to spend at least one evening per week during my senior year of high school, a time when I was busy tending to college applications and grappling with Calculus. An ability to focus in a tucked-away nook while still being able to observe the world going by? Thank you, Bellevue Library.
As an adult, I work from home. And when I say “from home,” I really mean “anywhere but home” because household tasks sure have a sneaky way of presenting themselves at inopportune times. Until March, arriving at a local library, laptop and coffee in tow, was my go-to routine. Goodnow Library: I love the new 2nd floor teen section, which – don’t worry – I only used at the appropriate hours, lest anyone think I was trying to pass as a teen. (Can’t wait to sit by those sun-filled windows again!)
Libraries give good advice
Upon graduating from college, the magazine I worked for took me on initially as a contract worker. Come tax time, I knew I had a little research to do to make sure I filed and paid correctly. Where did I do all my learning about 1099s in addition to actually retrieving the appropriate paperwork? The Central Square Branch of the Cambridge Public Library. (Yes, the internet existed, but with nowhere near the functionality it has now. And yes, people still ask librarians for this type of assistance.)
Libraries bring out your social side
Once my daughter was old enough to sit up, we started going to programs at our local library. By the time my son was born, the city we lived in had built an amazing space devoted to children and youth library services that also housed the city’s children’s theater. Long before they started any formal schooling, my kids learned how to “be” in a learning environment (“crisscross applesauce!”) – not to mention how to behave in a public space enjoyed by all ages – thanks to Charlotte Mecklenburg Library/Imaginon.
Has your youth passed you by? (That’s only in your mind, you know.) Libraries across the country are teeming with interesting programming about travel, history, cooking, music, and probably any other topic you can imagine. Now, with virtual programming so normalized, you can easily take advantage of any of it. Don’t let this relationship (with your brain) become stale.
Libraries let you know you’re wanted
Here’s a tip for the best way to get a feel for a community: Check out what’s going on at the local library. Yes, social media – Nextdoor, Facebook, and the like – can give you a good glimpse, but (I know this may come as a surprise), not everyone is on those platforms…and even if they are, it’s generally a fairly small percentage of people who post. Libraries are like the great equalizer of community announcements. Walking in to the Dalkey Library south of Dublin and seeing notices for programming that resonated with me made me believe that there just might be a place for me in a new country.
Libraries embrace our community
Pre-pandemic, patrons came into the Goodnow to do things like: research their family tree; submit passport applications; peruse some of the over 100 magazine subscriptions, from Art in America to Yoga Journal; hold a meeting (there are rooms you can reserve); meet with a tutor; read the daily papers and copy the NYT crossword; use the computers.
You might not need the library for those things, but someone else does. That’s what’s so great about libraries – they’re a little loose with their love, and in this case, that’s a good thing.
Amy Wilson Sheldon is a writer, editor, and communications consultant – with a dash of literary event production. You can visit her online at ALifelyRead.com as well as on Instagram (@alifelyread) where she shares about books and reading culture.