Support your Local Library

{trythesky}

If you love to read, if you know how to read, then there is no excuse why you are not supporting your local library. When I first started hearing stories of libraries closing I was so disheartened. Especially when I read articles like this one in Newsweek that stated:

"A majority of the country’s library systems are having to make cuts, according to the American Library Association, and many of those cutbacks are quite devastating, even if the headline numbers aren’t as large. As cities and counties deal with the slow recovery, the budgets many of them adopted this summer for the 2011 fiscal year have placed large chunks of library funding on the block. For desperate officials, it’s a soft target, but librarians warn that cutting hours and positions might actually slow down the pace of recovery."

The sad fact is that I know a lot of people who love to read, but unfortunately turning to their local library for books is often the last thing on their mind. Although supporting local book stores or online sellers with great causes is good, the best way to keep your local library's doors open is by USING IT!

My local library has had to institute a 40 hour week because of budget cuts... that means that people with a regular full-time work schedule only have a 4hr window to go to the library each week. 

Of course the lack of library patrons is part of a much larger more serious issue...

But I want to take part in promoting more library patronage... the ALA is on a campaign for America's libraries and has provided a wonderful list of why they are so important.

Mainly I love libraries because they help us save money. There is no way I would be able to keep up with my extensive reading list if I had to buy every book.


But my library doesn't have the books I want, you say. That's where the wonderful interlibrary loan program comes in. You can pick any book you want, write down the title, author, and isbn and give it to the circulation desk saying you want to make an interlibrary request. They will have you fill out a little form and then they will find another library that offers the book, request it, and call you when it's ready to pick up. It's that easy!


That's how I was able to get my hands on a free copy of Scrapbook Page Maps which retails for up to $25.

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Can't wait to get started on our wedding scrapbook with this baby :)

But like I said before, support your local library because you will truly miss it once it's gone!