September is library card sign-up month and this year the ALA is working with comic creator Stan Lee to promote signing up. What many people may not realize is that even if they do not visit their libraries physically, they still can be highly beneficial in our increasingly digital world and that their library is always there for them, even in unexpected times.
Libraries in the 21st Century
Libraries are listening to their patrons and working to address their needs and wants. This is most noticeably occurring with the rise of digital demand--that access is both immediate and convenient. Most (if not all) libraries now have websites and with those websites they allow users to access and search what the library has in its collections. Additionally, many now offer access to ebooks and temporary downloads just by logging in with your library card number. Taking the role as the community center further, libraries are starting to offer access to magazines, movies, music, and television shows without ever having to set foot in a library.
My own county library offers access to ebooks (as well as audiobooks, music, and videos) through The Ohio Digital Library, magazines through Zinio, and even more movies, television shows, audiobooks, and music through Hoopla. They also offer ebook readers for patrons to borrow, too. Even more recently, they have eliminated library fines as a result of looking at both the relationship of the library and user as well as the impact fines have had on the library system itself. Tena Wilson, who is the executive director of the Stark County District Library, offers this great quote in the article that sums up the shifting focus of the library profession:
The old way of thinking was, ‘This is our stuff and we have to protect it.’ The new way of thinking is that, ‘This is your stuff and how can we help you (access it).’As someone emerging into the LIS profession, this quote definitely exemplifies the evolution of the field and reflects the emphasis of access in my classes and learning. Access is the answer to nearly every question we base decisions off of--whether in libraries, archives, museums, or other information fields. Why do we catalog? Why do we preserve? Why do we exhibit? To offer the public access to the information.
More than books
With the rush and focus to stay current and relevant to community members needs, sometimes the digital side gets more attention than the analog/physical side of library contents and services. One of the best places to begin a genealogical hunt is with a library. Apart from many having access to the library version of Ancestry.com (which allows you to freely search their entire database, but does not allow you to link information to your family tree creator), knowledgeable staff usually have tips and tricks for navigating the vast amount of data out there. Many even take requests to search for the information for you.
Programs for children, teens, and adults are still very much alive in the modern library. Skill development classes and workshops also help those in need of learning practical, often technologically-based skills such as basic computer skills, transferring pictures from another device to your computer, and how to use programs, internet sites, and other devices. Other services that libraries offer their community are help with job searching (including resume, cover letter, and application help), FAFSA application assistance, understanding healthcare laws, helping during tax season, providing educator resources, and homework help. My library, like many others, also offers Outreach Services to homebound, nursing home, and senior users.
Above and beyond
While most of these physical services do not require a library card to participate, cards help the library to generally know how they are servicing their community. Libraries and their professional associations are always on the forefront to protect users' rights and to keep access to information unabridged. Libraries are the community centers of their neighborhoods and they are quick to feel the needs, pressures, and wants of those they serve. A recent example of this can be seen in the events of Ferguson, MO and the outreach the library reacted with.
We are here for all of our residents. If you want to come, get water, read, check email, we are here… http://t.co/56qhtfFoOz
— Ferguson Library (@fergusonlibrary) August 15, 2014
Their tweet to the community has been quoted frequently, but the library (and greater information science community) have often came to the call of those in need. Providing safe havens, clean water, and means of connecting with family members and a sense of normalcy in difficult events. I've always told my family that if I were ever to get lost, especially in another country, check the nearest library because that's where I will go. (I know that a generic "bibliotec(a)" word descriptor can be helpful in many language barrier situation, but having this little piece of information handy would be beneficial, too.) Freakonomics co-author Stephen J. Dubner even discusses whether or not libraries, if they were newly thought of, would ever be allowed to exist in our current society.Your library is YOUR library. Support it and it will support you!
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