If libraries only offered the chance to borrow books for free, that would be enough. Personally, I read dozens of books every year, which would be impossible if I had to purchase that many titles. So I would be a passionate library lover even if books were “all” they offered.

But libraries offer so much more than books! I remember my parents checking out a painting from my childhood library in Lexington, MA. It hung on our living room wall for a while, so that they could decide whether they wanted to return the painting to the library, as you would a book, or whether they wanted to purchase it. In this way, the library could support local artists, and also give nervous art-buyers a bit more certainty. I remember our family checking out video games and movies from the library too—long before streaming services came into existence.

More recently, I’ve heard of libraries allowing patrons to check out seeds, toys, musical instruments, board games, tools, kitchen appliances (does each individual family really need their own spiralizer?), and museum passes. Many libraries offer the opportunity to use computers and printers, and lots of libraries now provide communal puzzle tables so that patrons can work together to complete a puzzle. The more options libraries offer, the more patrons show up. Which means including non-book items in a library’s collection helps strengthen the library’s ties to the community…and also places more and more community members in a location conveniently filled with books. How many people enter a library to use a computer or borrow a wrench and walk out with a book? Or three?

This is a photo of the bulletin board you see when you enter my local library branch in Chevy Chase, MD. Storytime! English conversation club! Computer assistance! Tax help! Painting! Music! Gardening! Career success classes! Teen career fair! I took this photo on a completely random day when I happened to be at the library. But I couldn’t have staged it better to show how many different programs are happening through my amazing library system. Every program brings in more patrons. When more patrons come to the library, the library’s ties to the community are strengthened. And again, each program places more and more community members in a building jam-packed with books. How many people come to the library for a painting program or tax help and walk out with a book? Or five?

My passion for libraries, and my admiration for the way libraries continue to find new ways to build community, led me to write the book Orson and the World’s Loudest Library, illustrated by Stephanie Roth Sisson.

In our book, Orson is not happy about the way his library is building community. He wants the library to be a quiet place to read, and that’s it.

Just as Orson’s love of books stems from my own love of books, so does Orson’s love of quiet. One of my favorite things is having total quiet to read or write (and I mean TOTAL quiet…even my husband breathing nearby gets on my nerves.

Spoiler alert: over the course of the story, Orson does come to see that his library can be a great place to read and a great place to connect with fellow book-lovers.

I’m endlessly grateful for my library system, and I can’t wait to see how it continues to evolve and build community. In the future, how many people will walk into a library to borrow a robo-dog or a jetpack and walk out with a book? Or ten?

Today’s guest contributor is Laura Gehl. Laura is the award-winning author of more than fifty books for young readers. She lives with her family in Chevy Chase, MD, and can be found online at lauragehl.com.

Please note that as a guest post, the views expressed here do not represent the official position of ALA or ALSC.

If you are interested in submitting a guest post, please read and fill out our Guest Blogging Interest Form. We would love to hear from you!

The post How Libraries Build Community (and How I Wrote a Book about It) appeared first on ALSC Blog.

 If libraries only offered the chance to borrow books for free, that would be enough. Personally, I read dozens of books every year, which would be impossible if I had to purchase that many titles. So I would be a passionate library lover even if books were “all” they offered. But libraries offer so much more than books! I remember my parents checking out a painting from my childhood library in Lexington, MA. It hung on our living room wall for a while, so that they could decide whether they wanted to return the painting to the library, as you would a book, or whether they wanted to purchase it. In this way, the library could support local artists, and also give nervous art-buyers a bit more certainty. I remember our family checking out video games and movies from the library too—long before streaming services came into existence. More recently,…
The post How Libraries Build Community (and How I Wrote a Book about It) appeared first on ALSC Blog.  Read More

ALSC Blog