My first memory of going to a library was in elementary school when we would march down the hall in a single file line trying to be as quiet as we possibly could because the library was some kind of sacred place. The librarian gave us wooden sticks with our names on them for when we pulled a book off the shelf to look at, we could return it to the proper spot. My grandmother first took me to the Hilliard library back when it was on Main St. I think there is a gas station or pizza place there now. It was a quiet place with that distinct book smell that I came to love. I was amazed that you could have this flimsy little card and take anything you wanted home with you. From my elementary school training, I knew that you should never eat or drink while reading a library book and bending the corner of the page to mark your place was a no-no.
As I got older, my interests grew and the library could always provide me with the education that my school and teachers didn't offer. I could learn about art, history, foreign lands, languages, astronomy, philosophy, religion, etc. I would often go and browse the shelves for anything that looked interesting. My only restriction was that once I had more than I could carry, I had to stop and check them out. I think my arms are longer than they should have been as a result. No matter what subject interested me at the time, I knew that I could go to the library and learn everything about it.
When I got older, I went to work for the library. I really could look ahead and see myself surrounded by books and knowledge the rest of my days. The library of today is a bit different than it was when I first went as a child. Now material is offered in different formats. You can listen to books or download them onto a reading device. The old card catalogs have been replaced with computerized versions which make searching faster and sometimes more confusing. There are Internet computers at all locations where a world of information is at your fingertips if you know where to look. The dusty reference tomes that occupied shelf after shelf (you know, the ones you couldn't check out) are now replaced with online versions that you can access from your very own home.
Working for the library, I have a different perspective than I had when I was just a visitor. I still see kids that remind me of myself who are curious about the world around them and love to dive into the next book that they just can't put down. There are the people who come in wanting to learn about specific subjects and aren't sure where to begin. There are also people who have lost their jobs and gave up their Internet service to save money who depend on the library to search for jobs online and apply. We often get people coming in who have never had to use a computer in their life and discover that so many things have gone online and you can no longer just fill out a paper form, visit an office or dial a phone. There are people who rely on the library computers for e-mail so they can maintain contact with family members in the military.
The library provides study materials so people can either get their GED, get certified for careers such as nursing and teaching as well as civil service exams. At the beginning of each quarter or semester for local colleges and universities, we are inundated with calls from students hoping to find even one book from their syllabus so they don't have to blow their budget on a $100 textbook.
That is why it is so disappointing to see that Governor Strickland has looked to raid the funding for public libraries to balance Ohio's budget. Libraries have been hit hard in this decade and have been getting by on less and less with each passing year. There was a time when you could request that the library purchase a certain book or movie or cd and we would. Now, we are lucky to be able to provide what is popular. If the governor's budget goes through, CML's budget will be cut in half. It is unfortunate that some child out there might no longer be able to go to his or her local library due to us having to close a branch or a job seeker having to go further away from home to submit job applications. Please contact Governor Strickland, your state representative and state senator and let them know how you feel about the library.
