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February is Library Lovers’ Month…it is a month-long celebration of school, public, and private libraries of all types. It is a time to reflect on the value of libraries and to work to ensure that our libraries will continue to serve.
It can be argued that libraries provide the least tangible – yet most important – benefit of local government.
They do not clean streets, arrest lawbreakers, filter water, or provide your children with a place to play baseball or soccer. Which is why public libraries often suffer when economic tides turn and the financial future is in doubt.
We are blessed in Elizabethton and Carter County to have a great public library, which not only provides books and promotes reading, but offers a variety of programs for both children and adults.
Public libraries play a huge role in helping communities. They provide free access to information, education and resources to everyone in the community. Wherever you travel, the public library always feels like the heart of a town.
Public libraries have an effect on many people’s daily lives, whether it’s through books or the computers that have internet access and allow people to get jobs or have the ability to contact friends and family.
Private and government funding for public libraries is very important to maintain their success. In addition to books, libraries give people free or low-cost access to newspapers, music, movies and the internet. Most libraries offer printing, scanning and faxing services, as well.
The library is a place that also allows people to come together, whether it’s to study for an upcoming test or to take a class introducing people to new hobbies, interests and ideas.
As someone who loves to read consistently, it is nice to be able to go to the library and pick up a few books for free and return them when done with them. Also, there are many summer fun reading programs at the local library for children. There are wonderful programs that motivate kids to read books that they wouldn’t normally read and could lead them to enjoy reading.
At the Elizabethton/Carter County Public Library, there are adult arts and craft classes, chair yoga, qigong, which benefits our health and well-being, puzzle swaps, Teen Tuesday, which promotes activities for young people such as building with cheese crackers, origami, coloring and puzzles, and storytime for children. These are just a few of the many on-going programs at the local library.
According to the American Library Association, there are more American public libraries than Starbucks (more than 17,000). These libraries serve as community hubs that provide trustworthy and reliable information and promote not only reading, but learning new things.
We are fortunate to have the Elizabethton-Carter County Public Library downtown Elizabethton and a helpful staff as well as the many resources it offers. It’s your tax dollars at work.