Support public libraries!!
I am heartsick from seeing so many thousands of books being thrown in the trash, week after week after week with no end in sight.
Please support your public library!
It is super-easy: all you have to do is use the library. The following is a list of things you can do at the library, and all of it helps both you and the library, so win-win!
Not all libraries offer all of these services, but if you have any questions, don’t hesitate to ask a librarian or to check the library’s Web site!
*Walk through the front door.
(Seriously - every person who enters the building adds to a statistic that tells the people in charge that the library is being utilized and should be given resources accordingly.)
*Use their free Wi-Fi or sign up to use a public computer.
*Check out movies, TV shows, and documentaries (and anime!).
(The library has a lot more than just books! You can check out all sorts of things.)
-You can order items from other branches if the branch you visit doesn’t have what you’re looking for. The items will be sent to whichever branch you specify and reserved for a little while under your name so that you can pick them up and check them out at your convenience.
-There’s also a service that does the same thing, except you can order items from other cities if your local library doesn’t have what you’re looking for.
*Check out music CDs - rock, country, R&B, classical, movie soundtracks, folk, you name it!
*Check out laptops or tablets.
*Use their job center, which can offer free help with résumés and such.
*Attend free classes at their adult education center.
*Use their copier, scanner, or fax machine (there’s usually a charge for this, but most of the other library services are free).
*Check out e-books or vinyl LPs.
*Check out audiobooks.
These are great for people who don’t have time to sit down and read a book. You can listen to audiobooks while driving, exercising, or doing housework.
*Check out books, DVDs, and music in other languages, such as Spanish.
*Read the newspapers and magazines. (You can check out older magazines just like you would books.)
*Attend library-sponsored or -hosted programs and events, such as story time for children, activities for teens, art shows and concerts, book clubs, etc.
*Rent the event room for your own events, meetings, etc.
*Buy used books, movies, etc. for super-cheap prices at the library’s book sales.
(Some of these items were donated for this purpose. Other items were withdrawn from the library’s collection because they weren’t getting checked out, and this is their last chance to be useful to someone - if they don’t sell, they eventually get thrown away.)
*Donate books, movies, etc. to be sold in library book sales.
*And, of course, check out books. Books get withdrawn when they haven’t been checked out in a while. Some of these books go to the book sales, but others…sometimes a lot of others…go straight into the garbage.
Check out books that you have any interest in whatsoever, even if you don’t get a chance to finish reading them.
Check out books you love that you want to remain on the shelves for new readers to find.
In addition to fiction (including comic books and manga!), there is fantastic non-fiction on subjects such as:
-Cookbooks
-Car repair manuals
-Pregnancy and child-rearing
-Movies (as in, books about movies or TV shows)
-Job hunting or career-improving
-Crafts (including crochet, knitting, etc.)
-Political and economic commentary
-Memoirs (in addition to biographies of famous historical figures, there are many fascinating books written by contemporary people with vastly different life experiences)
-Fashion, makeup, hairstyling, etc.
-Academic subjects like math and foreign languages
-Physical and mental illnesses
-Dating and marriage
-Allllllll sorts of books about animals
-Religious studies
-Gender issues
-Race issues
-Home decor
-Various science topics like astronomy, geology, etc.
-Architecture
-All kinds of art
-Poetry
*And more! Check your library’s Web site or ask a librarian about any other services and programs they might offer, such as free help preparing tax returns or free meals for children during summer vacation.
Additional ways you can support the library:
*Volunteer.
(It’ll look good on your résumé or college application, too.)
*Donate money.
(Make sure it goes straight to the library rather than just the city in general.)
Public libraries are super-important and super-helpful community resources! There is so much cool stuff to do there, everything from entertainment to self-education to enrichment.
The public library is here for you, so make use of it! Prove to the people in charge that the library is valued and deserves more resources to provide even more cool stuff to patrons.
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