As we hear more talk more often of a possible recession I was wondering when municipalities have less money to spend on programs and services (as so often do their citizens), why it is that public libraries whose operating hours are usually one of the first things to shrink as a money-saving move, tend to become more popular for those seeking entertainment and information.
It was like shooting fish in a barrel to find sources to
support the level and breadth at which this has been happening across the USA,
thanks to Google. At the time I entered my query, "use of public libraries in a recession" into my browser, there were
17.6 million mentions identified in less than a quarter of a second.
Adding to the irony is an observation from an acquaintance about
the power of the smartphones most of us now carry and their ability to
research material and sources of information in the blink of an eye. Because that, in turn, led me to wonder why people
still go to the public library, in our case, Otis.
Those motivations and needs are, I imagine, as diverse as
those of us who patronize libraries. I’d like to believe people look to a
public library in an urban landscape the way the fingers of the hand look to
the thumb. There are so many services and so many products available and
everyone meets in the same space and place.
Public libraries, like Otis in downtown, by accident or
design, may well be the most distinctly iconic symbol of American democracy, up
there with Old Glory and the Bald Eagle (which is NOT my nickname, yet).
Norwich (still) doesn't have an especially vibrant downtown
though there are a lot of individual efforts by small businesses and property
owners with more arriving, if not daily, than with a frequency I find
heartening. But if you’ve been telling yourself fables about why you don’t go
downtown, you’d have no way of knowing how much Down City has gotten better.
Yeah, I know, you’ve been meaning to go, but it’s hard to find a suitable time
or a great event.
But this weekend (starting this Friday), you have the perfect reason as the Friends of Otis Library holds their annual Autumn Book Sale. There's a sneak preview Friday morning from nine to ten attracting collectors who pay $10 for a head start on searching for great deals ranging from books of every genre to magazines, video and compact discs, and more.
But no matter how many collectors attend, I can tell you from previous
experience there’s still plenty of great stuff when the doors open at ten for the
general public (I already have a lot of their previously-purchased bargains at
my house and will have to invent a new reason to give my wife after the weekend
is over).
Book sale hours for both Friday and Saturday are from ten
until three and from noon until three on Sunday, which gives you tons of time
to wander across downtown (and admire the only Roundabout no one is angry about.
Yet.) as well as pop into the shops and eateries, etc. that line the sidewalks.
You’re always saying you wish there were more going on downtown and now there is, so be here when it happens. And be part of why it
happens, so that it keeps happening.
-bill kenny
No comments:
Post a Comment