Looking for Answers? The Library can Help.

What is a library? By definition, “it’s a place in which literary, musical, artistic, or reference materials (as books, manuscripts, recordings, or films) are kept for use but not for sale.”

What if you asked somebody on the street that question? The answer would probably be a place where you can read and check out books for free. Well, that was it back then. Nowadays, it’s probably more like use computers and the internet and check out DVDs.

But what I think people don’t realize is that we’re much more than that. The Library is a place of information and as librarians we’re here to help them get that information.

It seems that when people need help they turn to us. And it’s where people are directed to go when they need help.

And as one librarian said to me, “Well, duh! That’s what we’re here for.”

And I get it. We are here to help people.

It’s about people not knowing where else to go. It’s about people looking for help. It’s about people looking for answers. And that’s what we’re here to do. The Library will do the best it can to provide answers. A lot of people might be under the impression that the patrons looking for help are just lazy. They don’t want to do the work. They just want someone to do it for them.

There may be some that do, but most of them just want a helping hand. They may seem that they want you to do it all for them and they may not want to because they’re scared, but if you nudge them you’ll find that they actually want to learn how to use the resources the Library has to offer.

When you first get them started, it seems like they’re completely lost and they want you to do it for them. But then you realize that they simply need to gain confidence. They may look at you with a blank stare at first, but once you get them rolling, they realize they can do it themselves and they’re on their way.

Along the way, you’ll find that the patrons are patient and appreciative. They’ll start telling you about themselves and wanting to share their life with you. In the end, you’ll have they really don’t take you for granted. I think they really understand that the Library is a place where they can come in and get help. And the point above ties in to National Library Week and the Family Place Library.

We just celebrated National Library Week and wanted to show our appreciation to the community by giving out pizza for the teens and coloring books for the kiddies. We held events and drawings and gave away prizes.

We also continued with our Family Place Library program on Thursday. It was our second session of a five-week program. We had 15 families and 49 individuals join us for the workshop on “Parenting through Play”. The next session will be Thursday, April 25 at 6:30 p.m. with Kay Burtzloff, executive director of United Way.

These events point to the theme of National Library Week, which is “communities matter.” We want Liberal and the surrounding communities to know that you matter to us. And we hope that we matter to you.

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Recipe Swap will be on Monday, April 29 at 6:30 p.m. in the Cooper Clark room. Every month we’ll have a different topic or theme. This month we’ll be searching for a little sweetness in our recipes as take on desserts. We’ll be sharing our favorite recipes for sweet delights. And even if you don’t have a dessert recipe one or not really interested in desserts (as absurd as that may seem), that’s fine. Come on down anyway and meet people who want to share their passion with you – cooking. Hope to see you there!

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Don’t forget that Saturday, May 4 is Free Comic Book Day. It was so much fun last year that we decided to do it again. We’ll have drawings for special prizes and giveaways and prizes and of course, free comic books!!!

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And just a reminder, that we do have a Kindle Fire available for check out.

If you’ve always wanted to see what a tablet can do, here’s your chance to find out first hand. Here’s a great opportunity to check out the wonders of what a tablet can do. You can surf the web, read a book, watch a video and do so much more.

All you have to do is come down to the circulation desk and ask for the Kindle Fire. Borrowers have to be at least 18 years old and sign a borrowing agreement adhering to the Library’s policies and terms for the device. Once you’ve done all that, you’ve got 14 days to check out one of the coolest devices around. (And don’t forget, late fees do apply!)

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For the latest events and happenings at the Library, check out our webpage at www.lmlibrary.org or visit our Facebook page at facebook.com/lmlibrary