Onawa Public Library Celebrates Library Lover's Month

WHY LOVE YOUR LIBRARY?

It's a well known, but often taken for granted fact. Libraries are part of the American dream, a place for education and self-help. The library is the rare institution that offers opportunity for people of all ages and all backgrounds. From finding a job to launching a business, from researching a paper to learning about the world, libraries help people get started.

What many people don't know, however, is that libraries are also changing and dynamic places. Where else can you have access to nearly everything in print and online all in one place? With access to the Internet, online databases and computer training courses, the library is at the forefront of the information age. And the good news is that there are still all those great books, magazines, journals and newspapers you have come to expect and enjoy.

Perhaps the best-kept secret at your library is your librarian - who provides friendly, helpful advice and guidance on finding the best source of information, whether in a book or online. It's not an overstatement to say that librarians really are the "ultimate search engine."

People and places come and go. But the library will always be there as a source of inspiration and lifelong learning, changing and growing to meet our needs and the needs of our community.

Research has shown that everyone loves libraries, but no one thinks about them very much. That's where you come in. You don't have to be a public relations expert to promote your library. You just have to talk about your library. Here are some ways to do it:

• Attend local government meetings to urge city and county officials to invest in libraries as a vital community resource, one that will save substantial tax dollars in helping people of all ages to be more literate and productive.
• Support library referenda in elections.
• Write to state and federal legislators and demand library service be viewed (and funded) as a necessary public service.
• Stay up-to-date by reading your local newspapers. Many people are not aware of the funding problems libraries are experiencing nationally or in their own communities. Encourage others to get involved.
• Speak up for the Onawa Public Library at community groups that you belong to - Chamber of Commerce, Kiwanis, church groups, and groups that involve children. Invite your librarian to talk about library services and needs.
• Participate in Library Legislative Day activities.

Libraries enable individuals to make informed decisions about their self-governance by promoting unrestricted access to information and by serving as community centers for lifelong learning. Libraries provide enduring connections to the past and future of our communities, nations and civilizations. The expansion of electronic networks linking libraries and their resources makes it possible for better and more easily accessible information for library users around the world. We are truly blessed to have a community library. Visit the Onawa Public Library and take advantage of the services they offer.