It’s National Library Week, dear readers, and blogs across the Interwebs have been celebrating in their own way.  If you want to read more about National Library Week, the American Library Association has a great little fact sheet here.  It turns out that in the 1950’s, people were concerned that other people were “spending less on books and more on radios, televisions and musical instruments”, and thus organized to promote Libraries.

Since then, as we sincerely hope you know, Libraries have grown from “a place to check out a book” to a place where you can find radio shows to hear, tv shows to watch, and sheet music to read.  And on that note…no one here begrudges you the time you spend doing anything that makes you happy.  Especially not playing music instruments (yeesh!).  We do, however, try really, really hard, to be one of those institutions at which you would like to spend your free time.

Our pals at NOBLE posted this splendiferous photo of the Lynn Library from 1946 (whoever you are with your back to the camera?  I covet your sports coat).

The website ILoveLibraries.org has a whole list of ways that you can celebrate National Library Week, which you can read here.

The American Library Association also released their list of Top Challenged Books of 2016…which we will be discussing in far more detail soon, I promise.

And our pals at BookRiot, in addition to putting out a post to help you talk in (Library) code, which made me faint with nerdy delight, also put out this phenomenal post about How To Support Your Local Library, which I would be delighted for you to read.

But that post got me to thinking…and so, for this National Library Week, I thought it might be fun to make a few suggestions about How to Support Your Local Librarians–this week, and every week:

1. Please don’t apologize for asking a question.

Truly.  It’s why I am here.  If no one asked me questions, I would be out of a job.  And then I would be sad.  Also, I can promise you that any question asked in earnest is never a stupid question.

2. Please don’t apologize for returning a book late.

I am the reigning Queen of You’re Not Getting It Back ‘Til I’ve Finished It, so I am certainly not going to be the person to chastise you for not getting your books in on time.  That you bring them back to us, so that we can loan them out again, is what matters.  We don’t want anyone to have to wait too long for their stuff, so we would ask that you think about the other patrons waiting for the book/cd/dvd/bike lock/etc., that you checked out.  But please don’t feel bad about bringing those items home to us.

3. Please tell me what you thought of the book you read

I truly cannot tell you how big a kick I get out of patrons telling me that they enjoyed a book/cd/dvd/audiobook I helped them locate, convinced them to try, happened to check out for them.  But you know what?  I enjoy hearing that you hated them, too. From a librarian standpoint, it really helps to know what you, our patrons, think of the materials you check out, as it helps us plan our purchasing for the future, as well as to assemble some good Readers’ Advisory ideas for the future.  From a personal standpoint, I love knowing that you are engaging with your Library.  I get books that I loathe, too.  Viscerally.  And I hold grudges.  Knowing that you care enough to hold a grudge, too, is great!  Granted, if it’s something like Lolita or The Picture of Dorian Gray, I’ll probably make a sad face, but I promise, I’ll get over it.

4. Please Check Out All the Things You Can Carry

Seriously, people seem to treat books like cake or french fries–like they have a portion or a serving size to which consumers must adhere.  This is an untruth.  You can check out all the books and cds you’d like from us (we do have limits on the DVDs, though….sorry about that).  And you don’t have to read/hear/see them all before you return them, if you decide you don’t want to.  Take it from someone who may very well be crushed to death if the pile of books beside me ever topples over the wrong way–you can never have too many books.  So grab as many as you’d like!  And then, see Request #3.

5. Please Tell Us What You Want

We’re your library.  If you need a book renewed, we’ll do our darndest to renew it for you, even if it involves some technical creativity.  If you need a book or other material that we don’t have, we’ll use every resource at our disposal (and our resources are considerable, let me tell you) to get that material for you.  If you want us to buy a book or other material, including computer programs or online resource, let us know!  We have forms for those sorts of things because we want you to tell us what you want.  Granted, the money tree doesn’t bloom with great frequency, so we can’t promise to grant your every wish, but we do promise that we’ll do our very best to do so.

So there you have, it, beloved patrons.  I hope these points help you in loving your Library even more.  Happy National Library Week!