Library patronage

Last week was National Library Week... and I was feeling the love for my local PL, the Huntsville-Madison County Library. Overdrive issues aside, I have been so impressed with what I've seen there lately. All sorts of displays -- new books, themed books, recommended books. You never get past the abundance of those pulled out for you to the shelves, frankly. And I continue to be impressed with the creativity of the youth services department. It's colorful and stimulating in there.

I remember the dark old days when you had to pay 50 cents, two shiny quarters, to place a hold. It had to be in person, you couldn't place one against something on the shelf without calling. Now, the policies are more patron-friendly, and the collection there is downright au courant. I can get much of what I want to read there, not too long after publication. I checked out almost all the titles from YALSA's Amazing Audiobook list, and my commute flies by. Frankly, I hope angels sing wherever director Laurel Best goes.

And programming? They have really stepped it up! Adult crafts! All sorts of daytime lectures, a noir movie festival, software workshops. This Discover Tech exhibit and event series, perfect for our geeky community:

Public library work can be thankless. People are crazy out there. But how important are these services for the vibrancy and quality of life in our city? Even if I weren't a library worker, I'd be a library patron. My local public library today? Pretty mind-blowing!