Your Library Connection
Libraries Can Brighten Your Day and Improve Your Life
James Michener said, “Public libraries have been a mainstay of my life. They represent an individual's right to acquire knowledge; they are the sinews that bind civilized societies the world over. Without libraries, I would be a pauper, intellectually and spiritually.” James Michener is not the only person who has benefited and whose life has been transformed by the public library.
Did you know that Ernest Gallo used a wine recipe from a public library and $5,900 to create the world’s largest winemaking empire? Or that Bill Gates has wonderful memories of going to the library as a child, and this is one of the reasons he now supports public libraries through the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation? Barbara Bush said "Libraries and librarians have definitely changed my life -- and the lives of countless other Americans..."
There are many others…people whose names you probably don’t recognize. Four women were featured in the March 6, 2007 Woman’s Day Magazine with their stories of how the library changed their life. When the magazine asked for entries on the topic, they received 2,000 essays! Libraries helped the featured women and made a big difference in their lives. One woman going through disabling post-partum depression made the first breakthrough from her condition when she read a library book her husband had brought her. It helped break down the isolation by realizing that other women had suffered the same way. The library helped a refugee from Indonesia learn how to read the English language and get into a prestigious high school, was a lifeline for a family stuck in a hotel for a month, and provided the ability to read through Braille and recorded materials to a woman who thought she had lost the ability to do these things when she went blind.
Locally, we have many people who have used the library and learned, felt better about themselves, empowered their lives, achieved their purpose, provided a much needed escape, or brightened their day. These are a sampling of comments from people who visit the Independence Public Library. Two are anonymous because those individuals preferred not to be identified.
“Without a home computer, this library has enabled me to ready my resume and type my cover letters. I would not have my position without it.” -Anonymous
“It is a friendly place where you feel welcome.” -Phyllis Vick
“I love to read and the library lets me read the books I enjoy without having to buy them.” -Betty Knippel
“I LOVE the fact that Independence Ladies Musical Society has a new ‘home’ to meet. (It is my "excuse" to be in the library for a couple hours at a time and feel so at ease and relaxed.)” –Angie Flaucher
“This is the only way I can get online.” -Anonymous
“As a mother of a toddler I am relieved that there is a safe and educational
place to take my child on the long winter weekends”
-Amber Hunt
“I love meeting and talking to people in the Independence community.” –Fred Miller
“The library has become an oasis for the at-risk children in the Four Oaks agency.”
–Ken Golden
As a result of the library, it’s possible that your day has taken a turn for the better, you’ve gotten the answer you needed, you found a needed retreat, you made some important connections by meeting or coming to programs at the library, etc. I am collecting stories about the Independence Public Library and the good things it’s done for your life. If you have a personal story or anecdote to share, please let me know…334-2470, lblaker@indytel.com, or stop in for a visit at the library.
Library Tidbits:
The Summer Reading Program will begin with registration on Monday, June 1st! This year we are offering both a kids program (ages 0-12) and a teen program (ages 13-18). Registration runs from June 1st through June 15th for Be Creative @ Your Library (kids) and Express Yourself @ Your Library (teens). Come in, register, and get more information about reading, earning prizes and attending the summer reading events! It’s all free!
The Friends of the Library are having their book sale at the library on Sat., May 30th from 10 am – 4 pm and Sun., May 31st from 1 pm – 3 pm.
The next Riverside Cinema event is Fri., June 26th at the River Walk Park Band Shell. Bring your friends and enjoy the free event. For the movie title, stop in at the library for a Riverside Cinema bookmark or call 334-2470.
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