Why Libraries are Awesome

by Tony Chen

Okay, guys, I’ve got to admit that I used to be pretty down on libraries.   This is what I pictured:  little old ladies punching out library cards, smelly, obscure books no one really read, and worn-out beanbag chairs that had lost a few too many beans.  And being an internet surfing addict & a bookstore/café regular, I thought, who needs a library?  

Today’s libraries are really different than from what I remember.  They’re on twitter. They’re running cool programs and partnering with local businesses & cultural institutions.  They’re doing stuff for autistic kids.   They’ve got online book reservations and local neighborhood pick-up/drop-off.  One library I talked to is even letting members borrow fishing poles.

If you haven’t been to your local library in a while, now might be the time to do so. Summer reading programs and prizes are everywhere.  I talked to 2 people in the library business: Eric Robbins, Assistant Director of Northbrook Library in suburban Chicago (where you might find us on a Wednesday afternoon), and Ruth Lednicer, Director of Marketing of the Chicago Public Library.  What should we dads know about libraries?

1. Libraries are filled with passionate staff:  Lots of the staff are passionate, helpful, and knowledgeable (one of my favorite combos!) to help answer your questions.  In fact, when I contacted my local library wanting to interview them for this article? Their response was, “send me your questions – answering them is our business!”  They pride themselves in being trusted to find what you need.
   
   
2. Libraries have a lot of data that others don’t:  Libraries have access to proprietary databases and other resources that would be too expensive for me or you to purchase on our own. Much of the best of the Internet is information that can only be accessed through subscription databases that libraries purchase on our behalf. The same is true of book collections: free access to hundreds of thousands of works locally, and if they don't have it, they'll probably be able to get it through interlibrary loan.
   
   
3. The Internet has actually made libraries more relevant. Maybe this one’s counterintuitive, but stay with me.  Libraries are training people to be more discerning information consumers. There is a lot of good information that can now be found very easily online.  Libraries educate people to filter the junk from the nuggets. Robbins of Northbrook Library said so succinctly, “We teach people to use the technology that we've been told is going to replace us, but they keep coming back, year after year with more questions.”   In fact, the Chicago Public Library provided 3.8 million free, 1-hour Internet sessions to the people of Chicago in 2009.  What’s often ignored is the growing digital divide in the U.S. – one of the key ways to bridge it consistently is through public libraries. Check this: ~60% of the individuals who use public computers at Chicago’s libraries are searching for and applying for jobs. 
   
   
4. Try it before you buy it, baby.  Hey we’re paying the taxes, might as well use it, right? As the economy has tightened, many libraries have noticed a definite increase in the number of people coming to get that new bestseller, rather than buy it at $25-30.  The Library offers a great opportunity to “try it before you buy it” on books you may want to own eventually (cookbooks are a great example).
   
   
5. Libraries aren’t really about books at all.  What we often forget is that libraries often have movies, audiobooks, sheet music, and video games.  It’s never actually been about books as it has been about information. 

14 Things Dads Can Do With Their Kids at the Library

1. Look for DVDs, videogames, books, and manga with them
2. Attend a family-friendly movie or other children’s programs
3. Join the summer or winter reading clubs – lots of times there are neat prizes when for kids who read throughout the season. Ironically, the toy my 4yo loves the most right now is not the $50 customized car (yeah, I know) we bought him during our trip to Disney. It’s the free beach ball we got from our local library after reading 4 books.
4. Come to a storytime
5. Work on homework together using their many databases
6. Look at the art exhibitions and talk about the pictures
7. Attend one of the weekend activities sponsored by the local YMCA or other community organizations
8. Participate in the Detective club or Newbury Club
9. Come in for Bedtime stories
10. Check out fishing poles (yup – at 9 locations at the Chicago Public Library locations near public parks)
11. Play computer games
12. Make up a knowledge search game where kids race to find the answer to 10 questions.  Sort of a scavenger hunt for information.
13. Check out the library for exclusive deals they may have with local cultural institutions.  For example, the Chicago Public Library also has a limited number of passes for the great museums around in the city.
14. Oh, almost forgot! Read with them! Studies have shown that children who were read to for 20 minutes each day, starting from birth, start school able to read and ready to learn.
15. What other things can you think of?  Comment below.

Here’s one story about libraries & families that’s worth sharing again:  A few years ago, a family decided to show their two sons all of Chicago’s neighborhoods by visiting the library branch in each and then eating lunch in that neighborhood.  It took them more than a year to do so (74 locations), but they succeeded.

What's the coolest thing you've seen happen at your library?

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Other Resources:

Chicago Public Library’s Blog for Small Business Owners

Chicago Public Library: Resources for Parents