A Few More Thoughts About Libraries

TU Delft Library - Netherlands

Most people have a "bucket list" of places they'd like to see or visit before they die.  It's usually mainstream travel destinations like: Mount Rushmore, Statue of Liberty, or the Eiffel Tower.  However, I am not like most people.  One thing I have always enjoyed checking out on vacation is their local library.

I have lost count on all the different libraries our family has visited over the years.  Whether it was just to have internet access (in the days before mobile data phones), a place for a kids to play, or even just a place to make photocopies, we have enjoyed visiting libraries.

However, I must admit that there are a few special libraries I would like to check out someday.  Here are some of them:


Cardiff Public Library - Wales, UK

Unfortunately, I don't think I could actually see this place, even if I did make it all the way to Wales.  This cool structure served as a temporary library space, used by Cardiff Central Library from 2006-2009 while their present building was under construction.  However, it sure looked cool.  Consisting of two separate buildings the (20 ft) tall structure illustrated a number of books identified as those most commonly borrowed from the library.

 

Library of Picture Books - Iwaki, Japan

What’s cool about this library is that it is full of picture books.  It is also the work of a famous architect, Tadao Ando, whose goal was that green hills of Fukushima and the Pacific Ocean could be seen from nearly every point in the library.  What I especially like about this library is that it was designed to be 100% kid friendly.  Inside the building are play spaces and reading nooks for reading. Furthermore, children are encouraged to plop down with a book where ever they feel like.  My kids would have loved this library when they were little.

Kansas City Public Library (Kansas City, MO)

This library is a lot closer to home,  not too mention, in a city I have relatives, so I actually may get to visit this place one day.  Referred to as "The Community Bookshelf", this library book feature runs along the south wall of the Kansas City Central Library's parking garage. The book spines, which measure approximately 25 feet by 9 feet, showcases 22 titles reflecting a wide variety of reading interests. 

New York Public Library (New York, NY)

I think that it's the history of the New York Public Library (NYPL) that has always made me want to visit this place.  With  nearly 53 million items (that's a lot of books), the NYPL is the second largest public library in the United States.  What's so interesting is that it's not really a "public library", since it is independently managed and is funded by private and public funding.  As a matter of fact, the NYPL is one of the few libraries in America that was not created by government statute.   Even today, the research libraries in the system are largely funded with private money, while circulating libraries are financed primarily with city government funds.  The NYPL has appeared in many feature films - most notably was one of my all-time favorite movies - Ghostbusters.

Library of Congress (Washington, DC)


If the NYPL is the second largest library in America, then the Library of Congress (LOC) must be first.  Yep.  With a tally of 147,093,357 total items, the LOC is definitely the largest library in America.  According to their website, they have 32 million cataloged books and other print materials in some 470 languages; and the largest rare book collection in North America, which includes a rough draft of the Declaration of Independence and a Gutenberg Bible (one of the four perfect copies known to exist in the world).


Much like the NYPL, the LOC has an interesting history.  It was built for Congress in 1800, but much of the original collection was destroyed during the War of 1812.  (Darn those Canadians!  Which I can freely say since I am one of them.)  To get the jumpstart the library, Thomas Jefferson sold 6,487 of his personal collection to the library in 1815 and it has continued to grow ever since.  I think it might have been better if he had actually just donated them... but then again... that's just me.


Currently, the LOC receives some 22,000 items each working day and adds approximately 10,000 items to their collection daily. The majority of these acquisitions are received through the Copyright registration process, as the Library is home to the U.S. Copyright Office. Materials are also received as private gifts and/or acquisitions from a slew of government agencies (state, local and federal).

Recently the LOC has come under fire in the press as they are now the official repository of all Twitter messages.  To be honest, I don't really see the value in cataloging millions of public domain tweets.  It just seems like a little "Big Brother" like.


 

Well, those are just some of the cool libraries I'd like to visit one day.  However, to be honest, since I am such a lover of books... no library is ever to small or ordinary for me either.   As long as I travel across the country and the world, I will continue to check out as many libraries as I can.

Finally, I recently came across this cute video - a modern day tribute to the New York Public Library scene in Ghostbusters.  This live "performance" was a joint project between the NYPL and a group called Improv.  The goal of the film was to help boost awareness and support for the library as it was facing potential funding cuts.  I believe the film was a success and the NYPL was able to keep on... keeping on.

Hurray for libraries!



Improv Everywhere:  Who You Gonna Call?

Loving the Library

This weekend, my family went out of town for the day.  The plan was to spend the day in a neighboring city, where we had one commitment in the morning and another in the evening.  Since the drive home was 50 miles, it only made sense to spend the entire day there, however, the big question was where to go all afternoon?

We ended up spending the afternoon at local library.  My eldest son got in five hours of chess practice with the local chess club, that just so happens to meet their every Saturday.  My other son was able to grab a Star Wars book off the shelf (the same one he's reading at home) and enjoy an afternoon of reading.  And I got to plug in my laptop, access their free wi-fii, and catch up on some work.  Everyone was happy and the afternoon literally flew by for all of us.

Later that day, I couldn't help but think about what an incredible source public libraries are.  Where else can you spend an entire afternoon and have access to so many resources?  All at no charge.  On top of that, unless you want to check out material, access to most library resources doesn't even require having a library card.

Going one step further, I had to acknowledge that access to a public library is probably one of the most critical resources for homeschoolers.  I know that when my family first began our homeschooling journey, setting aside one day each week to go to the library was the best decision I ever made.  It allowed me to begin my children's "education" without the purchase of any curriculum.  As a matter of fact, we spent the first few months doing nothing other than just going to the library and checking out a ton of books and Bill Nye the Science Guy videos.  My kids thought they had died and gone to heaven!

Almost 10 years later, we still have a day each week for trips to the library.  Sometimes we all go and sometimes it's just me.  Either way, every Wednesday I can be found logging on to my library's website to figure out what needs to go back and doing a quick survey to find out what anyone wants or needs this week.

If I had a record of all the books we have checked out over the years, I would have to say that having a library card has saved me thousands of dollars.  On average, I usually have at least 10 books on loan from the library.  If you do that math, that equals 520 books a year.  Over the course of 10 years, that would equal about 5,200 books.  And that's just books.  And that's just on MY library card. 

 

Of course libraries are so much more than just books.  Most public libraries give us access to: CD Audio Books, Music CDs, DVDs, Videos, Boy Scout Merit Badge Books, and Digital Books.  When my kids were little, they loved being able to use the computers at the library.  They were thrilled to join up with "The Frizz" and take a ride each week on "The Magic School Bus".

When my family used to live in Tempe, Arizona, I had the good fortune of having access to 5 different libraries.  Since the five cities were all in the same county, I was eligible to have a library card with each separate library.  While it was a bit of work to keep straight which material was from what library, I never wanted for library material.

When we moved to Northern Utah, I discovered that since I lived in a small town, I only had access to one library and it had a very very small library collection.  To become a member of  next largest city library, I would be required to pay a non-resident fee of $163 a year.  Ouch.  At first I was not a happy camper.  However, as I began to think about the value of a good library to my family... I realized that spending 50 cents a day (per year) to use a library was still a pretty good deal.  I have never regretted that decision and each year when I have to write that check... I do it with a smile.

One thing that I have always loved about public libraries is the willingness of the librarians to help me.  If there is a resource that I need I have usually been able to secure it through the library's free inter-library loan service.  I have even found that the majority of the time that I ask for a book that my local library doesn't own, more often than not, they usually end up buying it.  And as there way of thanking me for the suggestion... I am the first one that gets to check it out.  How cool is that?

So if you are looking for ways to supplement your children's homeschool curriculum, you might want to consider spending some time at your local library.  Or, if you are ever find yourself in another city, you might want to pop into the library and see what it has to offer.  Exploring a new library can be really fun, because you just never know what new and exciting things you may find there.

"Perhaps no place in any community is so totally democratic as the town library. The only entrance requirement is interest."

- Lady Bird Johnson