Libraries are important cornerstones of a healthy community. Libraries give people the opportunity to find jobs, explore medical research, experience new ideas, get lost in wonderful stories, while at the same time providing a sense of place for gathering.
The _____ Library reflects the diversity and character, and the needs and expectations of our community. Those needs and expectations are often extensive, and the services invaluable.
The _____ Library is often the only readily available source of comprehensive information needed by people for personal, family and job-related purposes. Our community's economy benefits when business people use library resources to make wise business decisions, employees use it to improve job skills, or the disadvantaged use it to help break the cycle of poverty. During economic hardship, our citizens turn to and depend on the library.
Over summer vacations, evenings and weekends, the _____ Library is the only library available to school children; for preschoolers it is simply the only library available. College students often use the library when they are home for the weekend or for holidays. And the reference resources in public libraries are usually unavailable elsewhere in the community.
Our library is a unique and valuable resource. It is a lifeline to the world and all the information in it.
(If speaking to community leaders, you may wish to end with: Yet we struggle to keep up with the many changes in technology, rising costs in books and other materials, staff and budget shortages, and a growing demand from our customers for more information. As community leaders, I ask you to please make a commitment to your library and to library service for all. The intellectual and economic health of our community depends on it.)
The very concept of the library, especially the public library, is kind of an amazing one. Think about it: Where else can someone borrow an item of value, with only a card and the promise to return it, for free? Not only that--it actually works! People actually bring library books back! It's a testament to human decency. It seems like it would never work, but libraries have been successful for hundreds of years. People...
The very concept of the library, especially the public library, is kind of an amazing one. Think about it: Where else can someone borrow an item of value, with only a card and the promise to return it, for free? Not only that--it actually works! People actually bring library books back! It's a testament to human decency. It seems like it would never work, but libraries have been successful for hundreds of years. People value libraries as enjoyable recreational and academic additions to their communities. A library offers a wealth of resources, space to study or hold events, and a world of books to discover and borrow. And again, I reiterate, for free. They are also places that encourage scholarship and offer a quiet, peaceful place of study, which is tough to find sometimes, particularly in urban areas.
Disadvantages of libraries are, in my mind, few. However, there has been much upheaval in the information sciences since the digital takeover of information. Now that things like music, articles, and books themselves are increasingly appearing in digital form, a place where thousands of hardcopies are housed may soon seem ludicrous. Only time will tell of the new role that libraries will play in the sharing of information. Perhaps the libraries of the future will be computer labs that allow the user to access an e-book for a limited period of time at no charge?