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A Local Treasure: Your Public Library
One of the most amazing services available to nearly everyone in the world is the public library. These libraries are institutions which offer to anyone not only books, but magazines, newspapers, videos, games, CDs, eBooks, internet access, story hours for kids, a safe, quiet, warm place to hang out, meet with friends, gather as an organized group for meetings, take kids to story hour, and more. Some libraries in the United States offer tools for checkout: leaf blowers, hammers, ladders, lawn mowers. The Berkeley Public Library in California even allows users to borrow kitchen equipment such as slow cookers, cookie cutters, frying pans, blenders, electric mixers, among many other items.
You can walk into any public library and ask questions—a friendly, happy librarian or library assistant will help you with whatever you need. (As a librarian colleague of mine frequently said to patrons who apologized for asking a question, “The only silly question is the one you don’t ask!”) Reference librarians, available in every public library, will give advice and guidance about beginning or continuing your research. Contrary to the stereotype, librarians won’t say “Shshh!” these days. Lively conversation and interaction are encouraged, though there are usually quiet parts of the library where readers can sit peacefully.
All public libraries provide internet access. Anyone can walk in and, usually, just sit down and start using one of the available computers. Need help? A librarian or library worker will be nearby and happy to assist.
And, of course, you can look up titles of books you’re looking for in the online catalog, then find the items on the shelf, using the call numbers given to locate them. The librarian can help with that. If you have a library card, you can check the books out and take them home. No library card? You can apply for one—it’s easy. All you usually need is a piece or two of ID showing your address (policies vary from library to library).
Or maybe the book is available online, as an eBook. The librarian can help you find that, too, and will advise you how to “check it out” and read it online at home.
Not sure what exact book you’re looking for? Ask the librarian for help. For example: “Can you show me where the books on Hinduism are located? I just want to browse.” Or type “Hinduism” into the online catalog, jot down a few call numbers, then go look on the shelves.
The reference librarian in any public library can assist in finding any book, from anywhere, even if your library doesn’t own the book. Some other libraries, somewhere, will almost always have the items you need, and will ship them to your library via Interlibrary Loan.
Many of our GMU students live in other countries, primarily India and in the African continent. Both of these areas have a network of libraries that are open to the public. These libraries typically house a collection of books, newspapers, magazines, and sometimes multimedia resources. They, too, are there to provide access to information.
It's always a good idea to check with the specific public library you are interested in to understand their policies and procedures for access and use. Public libraries play a crucial role in fostering education, literacy, and community engagement, and they are valuable resources for people from all walks of life.
How to find a local public library? Try searching for “public library [name of city or town]” in Google, Bing or your favorite search engine
Questions? Comments? Reflections? I’m here…just click on the link!
~Judy Clarence, M.L.I.S., GMU Librarian
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