One Week Ago and Today
I love that libraries are a public good, but they are also a community-building force. My kids can access so much and come in to contact with so many different kinds of people there.
The power of libraries is that they have a common objective to encourage public literacy. Our Heavenly Father must smile down on us as we learn how to, well, to learn--He's looking out for libraries, I'm sure of it.
My kids think our library is a place every visitor (new to Charlottesville or our neighborhood) needs to see. The Rotunda. Monticello. The library.
The twins seek out the children's librarians and know their names. Children's librarians are usually really nice people.
I once thought that libraries were for quiet people. Now I realize that we go there to learn to be quiet. It is the antithesis of the indoor shopping mall with its blaring music and glitz and perfume. Turn off your cell phones, use your library voice, the signs say.
The children's section is always separate to control for small children who haven't mastered quiet due to their development--even those noisy little people are welcome as they work on quieting themselves.
Homeless people are welcome in the library. I love that.
My kids are excited to pick up a new bookmark each week. It's such a simple reward for them. I should donate to the bookmark fund just to do my part.
3 comments:
Oh how we LOVE (and MISS) our libraries!! They are wonderful, magic places of growth. Enjoy yours a little more for us please. :-)
We love libraries TOOOOO! Friday has become our library day and D is learning a ton. ESPECIALLY that church isn't the only place to have an 'inside voice'.
I wish we had here some of the beautiful libraries I saw in the USA when visiting some cities in 2010.
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