Why Libraries are important: vol. 2

Today marked the second time in three days, where listening to someone, a non-Librarian, talk passionately about libraries, I asked them, in all seriousness, "Could you do something? Could you send to Paul Ryan an email or call his office, but tell him exactly what you have just told me." Then I had to clarify who Paul Ryan was in both cases, but both parties agreed to send their passionate pleas, horrified at the very idea the IMLS would be cut.

Today's conversation was rather interesting. It was at lunch, when someone from my company, but a different department, who I've met a few times before, asked if he could sit with me. Sure, I said. Turns out he is on the Council for his town, and their investigating a new space for the library. A Methodist Church was recently forced to vacate their building due to low numbers in the congregation. He wishes for the town to purchase the space to re-make it into a Library and Community Center. (Among other things, the church has a gymnasium, and it seems the congregation allowed for the public to use the gym regardless of affiliation with the church or not. He wishes to continue that open door policy.) He asked me what he could bring to the table to help convince the Library needed more space - in other words, what are libraries doing in the 21st century, when so many people are saying libraries are out-of-date, other members of the Town Council included, to bring people in the door.

I told him about Maker Spaces. I told him how one library in Massachusetts I know has collections in Boardgames, and are working to add a collection in Vinyl. How libraries are adding things like cake pans to their collections. How libraries are bringing in speakers, and art exhibitions, and giving increased time to story hour, and building spaces to be safe for teens. I talked about the importance of having a dedicated space for computers (which to be fair, the library has currently), in addition to having the space to expand their collections of books. That a library is not just about books, a library is about adapting. About learning to grow with the community, and meeting their needs. That if the other council members are convinced the library is dead, it is almost certainly because they believe no one checking out books anymore. First, yes they are, and second, bring collections and activities to the library people want. They'll check out the books, and the games, and the cake pans, and the vinyl. That the idea of combining the Library with a Community Center is actually brilliant, as the two can help one another to thrive.

He was sold, and had ideas to bring to the town council. He agrees with me that the book is not dead. That the library is not dead. That we need the library because without it, we have a sincere lack of both knowledge and creativity. So then I asked him to email Paul Ryan to tell him just that.

There was more to the conversation. Things about how what I did at our company compared to being in a public library. Things about how he would keep me updated as to the project, and what the next steps were.

I'm never not a Librarian. Even at lunch, when I have every intention of reading my book, which by the way, I picked up via Inter-Library Loan, I teach when asked about libraries.

I really do love my profession.