Notes from the back room

Notes from the back room: Alright, I am going to get a bit philosophical this week so hold on to your brain cells! It is Love Your Library month and I want to tell you one of the reasons I believe libraries are one of the best things since sliced bread. People, yup, not books, but people (go figure!). Now when I say people, I mean people not just as individuals, but people as a group, a community. Like our town. I chat with folks at the bank, post office, stores, and the library. I try to engage with people and learn about their ideas and about how they see the future of our town, our state, our country and our world. It helps me gain perspectives on different things. Civic engagement has many dimensions. In a year of a presidential election, this is obvious. If you don't vote, then you are abdicating your decision to the people who do vote. One person, who speaks up and votes, gets more of a say in how the future unfolds than the person who stays home. But civic engagement means more than politics and voting. It means taking actions, together, that result in a community worth living in. Sure there may be arguments. We all see things differently, and sometimes we need to discuss our differences and compromise. Everybody has their own “best way” to get things done and not everybody who disagrees with you is a “#%$&* stupid idiot” (believe it or not). And, I know in my head anyway, there is a little voice telling me not to talk about politics, money or religion with people because it is rude or something. As long as the point isn’t to start a fight, then maybe it isn’t rude, but a necessity that creates a better community. Community is about cooperation, about a process of thinking things out and doing something about our problems. And, oddly enough, I think this is where libraries come in to it. Every community has issues, questions, projects and dreams. Libraries can serve as neutral ground for meetings and as public space available to any and all. Not to mention the library is staffed with good listeners and researchers to supply necessary facts for conversations. The library also tries to have a well-balanced collection. (No, that doesn’t mean I can balance it on my head.) A well-balanced collection of books is kind of like a well-balanced meal. Not just the stuff you want to eat, but the stuff, like Lima beans, that you may detest and is Aunt Mary’s favorite. Yup, you can look stuff up at the library. You can educate yourself on topics they didn’t teach you in fifth grade. Shoot, you can even sign up to talk to others about subjects near and dear to your heart. All you have to do is participate. The library is here for you.