Thank you! I am a seventh grade teacher who uses your work pretty regularly in class. You just gave me my summer assignment. It is so simple--get a library card and bring it with you on the first day of school--10 points to start the school year! Now use it...
This librarian thanks you for being such a good ambassador for libraries! You've hit on all our major points, but we also offer free WiFi & use of computers, and you can scan things, print things and fax things (the last two for small fees). We have a MakerSpace where you can 3D print things, use a Cricut machine, or play with robots, and we have a VHS to DVD converter that is ALWAYS in use. Come to the Library! The more people through our doors, the better our chances of getting funding form our town!
As a child of immigrant parents where English was my second langauage, my very first experience with a public library was with the public bookmobile library (a bus), which parked outside my public school when I was in grade 2. I timidly stepped up into that bookmobile and was transported into another world. I was hooked and haven't stopped visiting libraries since. Today, the phone rings several times at our house each week, informing us of books being held at our local library. Libraries (worldwide) are a sacred place for people. I can't imagine being without them. Thanks for highlighting the importance of libraries!
The St. Paul, MN public library has a “lucky day” shelf for new, popular books and it’s one of my favorite features of the library. The catch is the lucky day books can’t be placed on hold and can’t be renewed, hence, it’s your lucky day if you walk in the library and the latest release you want to read (which otherwise has a months-long hold wait) is available right then and there.
I once ran into Vartan Gregorian who at the time was the President (and noted resurrector to it's original grandeur) of the New York Public Library. He asked what I was doing there and I said "Killing time until my next appointment." He replied, "We don't 'kill' time at the library, we invest it in ourselves." Smart man. No surprise he went on to become President of Brown University and then of the Carnegie Corp in NYC.
May 30, 2023·edited May 30, 2023Liked by Austin Kleon
Thanks for sharing the library love and encouraging people to make use of their local treasure. I work for a large system that serves two counties in Washington state, and anyone who lives in another library district in the state can get a library card to take advantage of our resources. Many libraries have reciprocal agreements with their neighbors (sometimes if may cost a small annual fee).
One thing I haven't seen mentioned here is all of the online resources most libraries make available: Consumer Reports, genealogy databases, auto and small engine repair, health resources - the list goes on. Smaller libraries are often able to get access to these resources through their state library, which helps to expand access to more people.
Please give your local library workers some love - the past few years have been rough on them and the current environment of hostility and book banning add to the stress. They're the glue that hold libraries together and they love serving their communities. They need your support now more than ever.
I go to the library at least once a week (it's part of my Friday afternoon routine), and sometimes twice. One of my favorite things to do is wander through the stacks that I don't normally frequent (sports, say, or applied sciences) to see if I'll stumble across something wonderful that I wouldn't have known to look for.
My favorite service: Interlibrary Loans! A while back, Austen mentioned Spring Cannot Be Cancelled by David Hockney. My library didn't have it, so I submitted an ILL request, and voila! A week later, I held it in my greedy little hands.
Every once in awhile, I'm gobsmacked by the very fact of public libraries. They're free! Anyone can use them! How can that even be possible? Amazing.
I'm very much involved with my local library system, both as a volunteer and library board member but also participating on volunteer boards at the provincial (Canada's version of a US state) level. It's astounding how much libraries do (or can do) and most people don't realize this.
I've had a goal to write in detail about my province's provincial library system for my newsletter: I think this is the last little push I needed.
Oh, and I'm going to read The Power Broker this summer, since I have it at home on my shelf and I have a lot of pages to go!
Seattle Public Library has a book case called “Peak Picks”—books that are currently popular as well as good books by authors from marginalized communities that the librarians want to elevate. There are several copies of each book, like a bookstore. It’s a delight to browse and I’ve found many great books this way.
Also props to SPL for eliminating late-book return fees!
The library in my town (Deforest, WI) is shaped like an upside Viking ship with gargoyles and all.
I go there to write, not just check out books; ours puts on classes and plays. The Madison Public Library downtown (part of our system) has an art center that teaches all kids of stuff like graphic design. I don’t what I do without our library system.
In addition to all the great bookish things, our library has seeds--so if you are putting in a food garden you can ‘take out’ some seeds to plant. All you have to do is save some seeds (and they put on workshops on how to do that) to return in the fall.
I got into the habit of taking my kids to the library every week when they were young and we homeschooled. Our library cards were my favorite homeschooling resource--I often maxed out mine at the 50-book limit! Now my kids are grown and I still go every week and my heart still judders a little every time I walk in. My favorite perk is that I’m able to request books from all over California, including university libraries, so I often request them for writing research, including literary stuff from small university presses that I wouldn’t be able to get my hands on otherwise. My library feels like a second, secret home to me. 💕
Last fall I spent a few weeks in Denver and visited several of the Carnegie libraries. In the early 1900s Andrew Carnegie donated partial funds to many communities to build libraries. It is fascinating history. One can find the list of libraries in each state on line. I have thought how excited the communities must have been to have a new building specifically dedicated as a library.
Our library in Greece, NY renovated a couple years ago to add a “Story Garden” for the kids. There are obviously books, but also spaces that have interactive play. That’s probably the biggest thing that I would point out to parents that are book lovers-the library isn’t some stuffy place with the old woman peering over her glasses and constantly shushing the children. The kids can play, interact, be around books, and just be kids! I have wonderful memories of my mother taking me to the library when I was younger and I hope I’m building those same memories with my children. Our library is also about a 2 minute walk from a little playground and splash pad. A perfect trifecta of activities to let the kids get their energy out, then calm them down, and ultimately tire them out! There’s also plenty of separate space for quiet reading. The public library has grown so far beyond books, newspapers, and microfiche. Everyone should check out their local library to see all that it has to offer!
My library on Orange, CA offers a monthly ukulele jam. 30-70 people show up to play ukes and sing old songs together. It's a blast.
Thank you! I am a seventh grade teacher who uses your work pretty regularly in class. You just gave me my summer assignment. It is so simple--get a library card and bring it with you on the first day of school--10 points to start the school year! Now use it...
This librarian thanks you for being such a good ambassador for libraries! You've hit on all our major points, but we also offer free WiFi & use of computers, and you can scan things, print things and fax things (the last two for small fees). We have a MakerSpace where you can 3D print things, use a Cricut machine, or play with robots, and we have a VHS to DVD converter that is ALWAYS in use. Come to the Library! The more people through our doors, the better our chances of getting funding form our town!
As a child of immigrant parents where English was my second langauage, my very first experience with a public library was with the public bookmobile library (a bus), which parked outside my public school when I was in grade 2. I timidly stepped up into that bookmobile and was transported into another world. I was hooked and haven't stopped visiting libraries since. Today, the phone rings several times at our house each week, informing us of books being held at our local library. Libraries (worldwide) are a sacred place for people. I can't imagine being without them. Thanks for highlighting the importance of libraries!
The St. Paul, MN public library has a “lucky day” shelf for new, popular books and it’s one of my favorite features of the library. The catch is the lucky day books can’t be placed on hold and can’t be renewed, hence, it’s your lucky day if you walk in the library and the latest release you want to read (which otherwise has a months-long hold wait) is available right then and there.
I once ran into Vartan Gregorian who at the time was the President (and noted resurrector to it's original grandeur) of the New York Public Library. He asked what I was doing there and I said "Killing time until my next appointment." He replied, "We don't 'kill' time at the library, we invest it in ourselves." Smart man. No surprise he went on to become President of Brown University and then of the Carnegie Corp in NYC.
Thanks for sharing the library love and encouraging people to make use of their local treasure. I work for a large system that serves two counties in Washington state, and anyone who lives in another library district in the state can get a library card to take advantage of our resources. Many libraries have reciprocal agreements with their neighbors (sometimes if may cost a small annual fee).
One thing I haven't seen mentioned here is all of the online resources most libraries make available: Consumer Reports, genealogy databases, auto and small engine repair, health resources - the list goes on. Smaller libraries are often able to get access to these resources through their state library, which helps to expand access to more people.
Please give your local library workers some love - the past few years have been rough on them and the current environment of hostility and book banning add to the stress. They're the glue that hold libraries together and they love serving their communities. They need your support now more than ever.
I go to the library at least once a week (it's part of my Friday afternoon routine), and sometimes twice. One of my favorite things to do is wander through the stacks that I don't normally frequent (sports, say, or applied sciences) to see if I'll stumble across something wonderful that I wouldn't have known to look for.
My favorite service: Interlibrary Loans! A while back, Austen mentioned Spring Cannot Be Cancelled by David Hockney. My library didn't have it, so I submitted an ILL request, and voila! A week later, I held it in my greedy little hands.
Every once in awhile, I'm gobsmacked by the very fact of public libraries. They're free! Anyone can use them! How can that even be possible? Amazing.
I'm very much involved with my local library system, both as a volunteer and library board member but also participating on volunteer boards at the provincial (Canada's version of a US state) level. It's astounding how much libraries do (or can do) and most people don't realize this.
I've had a goal to write in detail about my province's provincial library system for my newsletter: I think this is the last little push I needed.
Oh, and I'm going to read The Power Broker this summer, since I have it at home on my shelf and I have a lot of pages to go!
Seattle Public Library has a book case called “Peak Picks”—books that are currently popular as well as good books by authors from marginalized communities that the librarians want to elevate. There are several copies of each book, like a bookstore. It’s a delight to browse and I’ve found many great books this way.
Also props to SPL for eliminating late-book return fees!
The library in my town (Deforest, WI) is shaped like an upside Viking ship with gargoyles and all.
I go there to write, not just check out books; ours puts on classes and plays. The Madison Public Library downtown (part of our system) has an art center that teaches all kids of stuff like graphic design. I don’t what I do without our library system.
In addition to all the great bookish things, our library has seeds--so if you are putting in a food garden you can ‘take out’ some seeds to plant. All you have to do is save some seeds (and they put on workshops on how to do that) to return in the fall.
I got into the habit of taking my kids to the library every week when they were young and we homeschooled. Our library cards were my favorite homeschooling resource--I often maxed out mine at the 50-book limit! Now my kids are grown and I still go every week and my heart still judders a little every time I walk in. My favorite perk is that I’m able to request books from all over California, including university libraries, so I often request them for writing research, including literary stuff from small university presses that I wouldn’t be able to get my hands on otherwise. My library feels like a second, secret home to me. 💕
Last fall I spent a few weeks in Denver and visited several of the Carnegie libraries. In the early 1900s Andrew Carnegie donated partial funds to many communities to build libraries. It is fascinating history. One can find the list of libraries in each state on line. I have thought how excited the communities must have been to have a new building specifically dedicated as a library.
My branch library (near the lake in Chicago)has fishing gear you can check out.
Our library in Greece, NY renovated a couple years ago to add a “Story Garden” for the kids. There are obviously books, but also spaces that have interactive play. That’s probably the biggest thing that I would point out to parents that are book lovers-the library isn’t some stuffy place with the old woman peering over her glasses and constantly shushing the children. The kids can play, interact, be around books, and just be kids! I have wonderful memories of my mother taking me to the library when I was younger and I hope I’m building those same memories with my children. Our library is also about a 2 minute walk from a little playground and splash pad. A perfect trifecta of activities to let the kids get their energy out, then calm them down, and ultimately tire them out! There’s also plenty of separate space for quiet reading. The public library has grown so far beyond books, newspapers, and microfiche. Everyone should check out their local library to see all that it has to offer!