Your Library Does That

I work at an academic library. Until this morning, we had not received one single question about eclipse classes. Today, between the hours of 9AM and 1PM, I had nearly a dozen. 

Why were so many people calling my library? Whelp, most of the public libraries in our area spent the last few weeks handing out free eclipse glasses. When they ran out, people started to call us. One person even said, "I thought I was being sneaky by calling an academic library."

It's eclipse glasses right now. It's going to be tax forms until next week. Depending on your area, the library may hand out toiletry kits for the unhoused, arts and crafts bins, COVID tests, government forms, Narcan, museum passes, or any other myriad of things. 

The library is more than books. When a moment like the eclipse happens, people are reminded of that. 

Why the library? It's simple. We are a known place for people to come and get information they need. Sometimes that information takes the form of an object. Libraries, particularly public ones, are well placed to serve the needs of a specific community. They know what's happening. They know what people need and want. They understand the positives and the negatives. Sometimes, it's just as simple as they are there. The library is a place where people provide help.

This is National Library Week. Show your local library some love because, yup, they can probably do that.

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