Medicine for the Soul

"Medicine for the Soul" -- Inscription over the door of the library at Thebes

Here's a link to a recent story from MSNBC about public libraries. It asserts that, due to the economy, libraries have become busier than ever before. Our library has always been like a beehive. On our first visit (before I started working here) my wife and were stunned to find no vacant seats. It was Sunday afternoon and the place was like a tornado.

In addition to offering "free" books, computers, DVDs, and CDs, we've tried to make the library more of a community center. We have music concerts and show feature films. We have a series of storytimes for kids, computer classes, and book discussion groups for all ages. We also partner with several community groups to hold programs here. All this adds up to about 1200 people through the doors every day. It gets a little slower during the holidays, but there are always people waiting outside when the doors open.

One personal note: in my previous career, I used to work with this reporter, Chris Jansing, at a television station in Albany, NY. I was glad to see her do this piece, but I want to go on the record that I had nothing to do with persuading her to do it!