Everything happens in April! This is National Library Week. I hope you will stop in and give your librarians some kind words. If you've been reading the news, you are aware that these are tough times for libraries, who continue to do more with less, and librarians, who do it more or less cheerfully.
Public and school libraries change lives by finding the right resources at the right time for citizens of all ages and socio-economic groups. Here's an example from one of my favorite poets, Naomi Shihab Nye:
Because of Libraries We Can Say These Things
She is holding the book close to her body,
carrying it home on the cracked sidewalk,
(continue here and scroll to the bottom and click "listen to reading" to hear Nye read the poem)
4/19/2007 http://specialcollections.lib.msu.edu/ Special Collections Michigan State University Libraries 100 Library East Lansing MI, 48823Libraries, their human search engines (library staff), and their collections provide answers. The answers may take you where you want to go, or they make take you to unexpected places. See this poem by Jessy Randall:
Going to the Library
In the library there are pathways (click to read the rest of the poem)
Some of us get overwhelmed in libraries--so many books, so little time! William Stafford's "In the Library" captures this feeling:
You are reading a book, and think you know (click to read the rest of the poem)
What's your favorite thing about libraries?
Oh, how I love the quietness! And if I can't find what I want, the librarians are always so helpful! Kudos to librarians! Great post, Jane!
ReplyDeleteThanks, Jane. Hear, hear for libraries!
ReplyDeleteYes! Great post, Jane. Libraries are magic carpets, time machines, healers, and friends.
ReplyDeleteLinda, great ways to describe libraries. How 'bout turning them into a poem? ;)
ReplyDelete