More Christmas magic

I finally got a good photo of our "Candy Cane Tree" we created in our front yard.

We've had these large plastic candy canes for several years and tried different ways of using them in our Christmas displays. We like to decorate the yard for Christmas, but we're not the over-the-top types.

This year I was inspired to create a different sort of tree. We have rope lights in white, red, and candy-cane stripes, so I wrapped them around the trunk of a tree. This is a birch tree that had just the perfect limb structure to adorn with red and white lights for the best effect. Then we hung the candy canes along the limbs and we have a real crowd-pleaser. Not that we have too many neighbors, but those who live nearby or drive by have given us lots of praise.

We just have fun with it.

(The lights in the background are draped on the rhododendrons along the house.)

Christmas with the Crists is shaping up nicely, don't you think?

Apple Blossoms in December

This year I chose an amaryllis of a different color. This is my gorgeous Apple Blossom Amaryllis, which ended up having SIX blossoms. It's brilliant white with pink streaks and a rosy glow on the edges of the petals. I think it has a lovely scent too. I would definitely grow this type again.

For those who don't know, growing an amaryllis is a tradition that I started only in the past 5 or 10 years. I think I was inspired by my Dad, if memory serves me correctly.

Does anyone have experience with saving an amaryllis from one year to the next and getting it to bloom again?

Meanwhile, enjoy.

:)

Did I say COLD!?

Yesterday I posted about turning off the waterfall and how lovely the ice was. Last night it got down to 6 degrees. For here, that's what one weather person on TV called "brutal cold."
It's really good we turned off the waterfall when we did, because it is not expected to get above freezing until the weekend.
Well, I have to go stoke the woodstove again. Cheerio!

Cold Snap continues

As you can see from this picture, we're having quite a bit of COLD weather. Now my Colorado relatives might not think that a week of temperatures right around freezing during the day and low 20s at night isn't cold, but for Western Washington, IT IS COLD!

The waterfall this morning had a lovely coating of ice, so I decided to snap some photos before we turn it off for the winter.

Stepping away from the swirling vortex of life for a minute ...

Yikes, this blog dates my entries, so I know just how long it's been since I posted, sorry.

Life here has been a never-ending stream of things that HAVE to get done. Moving in is mostly done, except for the stacks of boxes that can wait for more time to really focus on what's in them and where that stuff should go. Moving out is also nearly done. Things got left at the Oly house that either we weren't sure if we wanted them there to stage it for sale or if we wanted to store them at the Yelm house or what. The Yelm house garage -- even though it's big enough for 3 cars -- was so full of Mom's old stored stuff that we've had to work at winnowing that down, getting it over to her garage, and making room for all the stuff we had stored in the shed in Oly. That process is nearly done, too.

The thing that has been a big focus has been fixing up the Oly house to put it on the market. There were unfinished projects (ceiling texture, painting the trim in the main room) and there were projects we had planned but chose to wait on until we were out of the house (a complete revamp of the main bathroom, painting the Master BR). I'm happy to report that most of that is done. As Dad has said: "Why is it that we don't do these things when we live in a house, but then have to do it for someone else to buy it?" It has me scratching my head sometimes, the thought of making the house really nice so that someone else can have it. But we're close to putting it on the market -- YAY.

On top of all that activity, I have been continuing my studies. I took 4 classes this quarter: Practical Accounting, Circulation Services, Serving Diverse Communities, and Library Administration and Management. Whew, has that been a load! I've really enjoyed Circulation and Diversity. The information in Management has been good, but the structure of the class doesn't suit my style. Accounting has made me tear a few hairs out, but I resolved to learn some good skills by taking it, so persevere I must! Since we moved to Yelm, I've also had the opportunity to get ot know a new library. (My school work often requires either talking to library staff and administration or examining the library for a report.) I'm due to start volunteer work there in a few weeks, when I'm on Winter Break and I have more time. I recently took what you might call a self-guided field trip to Seattle to tour the Washington Talking Book and Braille Library for my Diversity class. Mel went with me and we had a great time and learned so much about services for visually impaired and blind people.

The only other news I have to report is that two weeks ago, CJ had a close call when he ran his truck off the road (sharp curve + wet road + teenage driver unfamiliar with the area = wrecked truck) but he's OK since he missed a telephone pole by a foot -- thank goodness! But now I drive him to school and about 50% of the time I pick him up too. All part of the fun, right? He's worth all the effort.

And in case that leaves you wondering what Katie is up to: She's so busy with school, life, and work that we hardly see her except on the way in, on the way out, or asleep on the couch in front of the TV. I guess that means life is good for her; she seems to be enjoying herself.

I should mention Mel, who has been hard at work making the 5 acres here in Yelm secure for the dogs and arranging the garage, plus working on the aforementioned projects in the Oly house. He's itching to fish and hunt, but the priority has been getting the house up for sale, so he's practicing a little "delayed gratification." Whatta guy!

Since this blog post has mostly been a catch-all recap of the past few months, I'll make a BONUS post about marching band since it deserves to shine on its own. Stay tuned...

Progress report

We're slowly moving things into the new house. There has been much painting done, some light demolition in the kitchen to make room for the larger refrigerator we have already, cleaning, arranging, etc.
We're taking our time since we don't want to live there full time until the cable is installed for phone, TV and Internet. However, we're enjoying spending our days there and taking the dogs down most days to get used to the new digs (um, let's hope they don't take that literally).
School has begun and there is much reading and adjusting to new computer systems, but so far so good.
Katie left today to go to Aussie Nationals with Stacie in Colorado. She hopes to meet up with family there on her quiet days. She really seems to be enjoying massage school so far. I seem to see CJ in passing since he has marching band two nights and Scouts one night every week. Things will calm down soon, right?

Home Improvement, Take 2

The old porch lights ...
The new lights Mel and I chose to replace them with

In my last post I mentioned the waterfall. Here’s the view from the back patio (and the kitchen window). This waterfall runs about 12 feet down a small slope. The plants on the slope are sadly overgrown with weeds, but we’ll remedy that in the fall and winter.When we have the windows or sliding glass door open, you can hear the water from anywhere in the house … I love it!

Home improvement

I haven’t moved in more than 12 years, but before that I moved much more often. Whenever I moved into a new place, I always had a knack for making the place mine. I’d decorate, perhaps paint, plant flowers – different things that seemed to be my way of turning an impersonal space into my own. That tendency seems to have appeared again with the move to Yelm. It might also have something to do with the fact that I’ll be moving into my mother’s house. Ya think??

Anyway, there were two things about the house that I told Mel we HAD to change before we lived there. Both were throwbacks to the ‘70s, when the house was manufactured and I’m sure they were stylish. So I laid plans to bring the bathroom into the 21st century. I’ve taken “before” photos so you can see the hideous wallpaper and fixtures for yourself.

We went shopping and talked about the plans and then Mel proceeded to go elk hunting for a week – giving me the opportunity to do the work while it wouldn’t interfere with anything since we haven’t moved to Yelm yet.
I thought it wouldn’t be too hard to slap a little paint on the walls, hang new hardware, etc. That’s where I was wrong.
There were complications, such as me trying to be in Olympia to take care of things with the kids and dogs, while also being 30 miles away prepping, priming, and painting. I also hadn’t realized how many little angles, corners, and other tough-to-paint areas there were, so the project took much longer than I had expected.

primed! trim painting...

I washed the walls, coated them with primer, then painted and most nights I felt like I could hardly raise my arms to feed myself, much less cook a meal.
Suffice it to say that I was worn out at the end of 4 days and decided Mel could deal with the electrical and putting up the new lights when he returned. So now the deed is done and I can proudly cross it off the list of things to do.

Finished product!

It looks fabulous, Mel loves it, and we can get on with the actual move. Mom has gotten 99% of her stuff out of the house and we’re ready to make the transition. It will still be two weeks before we have phone, cable or Internet there, so we might have to work out some logistics still.

What about the other I-can’t-wait-to-change-this item? The outside light fixtures, another Mel production, but I’ll be sure to post pictures as soon as we get that accomplished.

Oh, anyone wanting to go “retro” can e-mail me and I’ll gladly give you all the old hardware and fixtures. You’ll have to supply the tacky wallpaper, though.

Lyn's new house

And yes, I would love for this to be my new house. But we don't have the $250K it took to pay for it. And the smaller, older house next door is still much bigger than our Olympia house and we get the waterfall (pictures to come, I promise) and the 5 acres to play on anyway.

A house is born

OK, at long last you’ll be able to see the house in Yelm arriving and being installed on its foundation. I have still photos of some points in the process, but mainly the video (which is only 8:40 – not bad for two days worth of footage!) will tell the story.

The house is a triple-wide modular home bought by my mom to add on her 5-acre property near Yelm, WA. She’s 72 and can’t take care of the acreage herself, plus would like to have some sense of “community” and family on the place – she has no real close neighbors now. We (Mel, me, Katie and CJ) have been living in a 1,000-sq.ft. house with four dogs as well and not much yard. We came to the conclusion about 6 months or so ago that the perfect solution to both dilemmas would be to have a second house on her 5 acres (can’t be subdivided, but you can move in a close relative) and have all of us living there.

It has been a long process to come to the point where a house was actually found, decisions made on who lives where, etc., but we’re anxious to put the plan into action. The first step is putting the house on the property. I’ve never been part of a project like this and as I talked to many folks about it, they wanted to see how such a house was installed. So I chronicled the process and have put together a little video production.

I'll take some more photos of the more-or-less-finished house and post later today.

Book Repair ROCKS!

OK it’s official: I love books, not just reading them, but the physical books themselves. They call that a bibliophile but you can just call me a book lover.

I took one of the most interesting classes this summer quarter – Book Repair – and I had the best time. We met all Saturday for 8 weeks at the campus, which is about an hour’s drive from my house. There were 10 students, so we got to know each other pretty well. We learned about the structure and function of books as well as how different damage happens. We took in our own books (or in the case of several librarians in the class, books from their library) with different damage to repair. We learned so much cool stuff and it felt like arts & crafts each week. We repaired torn pages, loose pages, torn bindings, damaged spines, and we even turned a paperback book into a hardcover book!

Since I’m a bibliophile and take great care of my books, it was sometimes hard to find damaged books to take in for class. So I put out the call to several people to find books needing repairs. I got some real beat up books that unfortunately were beyond my skills. I would love to learn how to repair books that are literally falling apart, but this class was centered on fixing damage before it needed a complete overhaul.

The pictures here are of spine repairs and corner repairs that I did for class. I completely replaced the spine on two books (The Magic of Xanth and The Circle of Braves) and repaired the cover corners as well as the internal spine of Zane Grey’s The Lost Wagon Train. Don’t they look cool!?

All the corners are recovered even though only one was really beaten up. The damaged spine is replaced and everything looks great.

In addition I took Collection Development, where we learned about the decision-making process behind what books a library should add to (or subtract from) its collection. We talked about censorship, finding appropriate materials, policies, and other library-geek details. It was really interesting and something I had never really learned about. I also had Pacific Northwest History, which as an intense bunch of reading and writing, but I learned a lot of interesting stuff about the region.

Added later Sunday: Here are a couple of photos of the book by Brenda that I turned from paperback to hardcover. Pretty special, if I do say so myself...

Coming next (I think): An update on the move to Yelm, including video of the house being installed.

Kudos to the gang

I have to take a moment today to acknowledge the love and support of my friends and family. Going back to school has been a big step for me – bigger than I had envisioned. I get swept up in projects, assignments and other school-related stuff and I have to step back into the shadows of family life and other activities. Through it all, I have the support, encouragement and help of family and friends. I want everyone to know that it does not go unnoticed. All the kind words of encouragement, all the “atta-girls” and most especially the times when everyone gives me the space and time to do what I need to do for my education, are very much appreciated. I can sometimes become quite intense about school and my laser focus makes me distracted from things outside of school work and what I’m learning – I readily acknowledge that about myself. I have come to the conclusion that it is because my new avocation is not only important to my future, but also terribly exciting for me. I yearn to soak up every bit of information I can about Library & Information Services; I throw myself headlong into my studies because they mean so much to me. Not to mention that odd little way I have of not settling for mediocre grades – I just can’t help myself there.

So to everyone who understands when I have a big project due or some other “crunch week” crisis and you don’t call or worry why you haven’t heard from me: THANK YOU. I know you’re all out there caring about me but giving me the space to grow and learn in my own way. And I appreciate it so much.

Coming soon (as soon as Finals are over!): I’ll share photos of a couple of my way cool Book Repair projects. And I still haven't gotten to the video and photos of the house project, have I? :(

Really, I'm doing OK

Just in case you've been checking on me, I rally am fine. So fine that I haven't had time to post in a few weeks. There has been school -- which includes a 5-credit Pacific Northwest History class that is INTENSE and a book repair class that meets all day on Saturdays -- and there has been the "moving to Yelm" project. Plus, last weekend I got the pleasure of teaching a seminar for new agility people on Saturday then spent Sunday judging a mock trial for a local agility club that's getting its feet wet. It was an exhausting weekend, but we had a lot of fun (Katie was along for all the fun) and helped introduce a lot of new people to agility. Plus it gave me a good introduction to the world of judging. Incidentally, that may just mean I put that on hold for quite a while. I realize now how much work it takes for one weekend.
Later, probably next week, I'll be posting about the fascinating project going on in Yelm. The new house is on site, just not on the foundation yet. Monday will be the big day for that. We're taking pics AND video, so stay tuned!

Speaking of projects

I’m getting started today on the project to learn (er, re-learn) Spanish. I’ve checked out an audiobook from the library and put it on my iPod. For those who don’t know the story here: I learned quite a bit of Spanish when we lived in Buenos Aires, Argentina for about a year when I was 8 or so. I don’t think I really kept up on it in elementary school and then when I went to Jr. High, I took 3 years of French. I followed that up with a year of Latin in High School. (At that point I wanted to be a vet, so it was good for learning all those Latin names for things, right?) Result: Three languages jumbled up in my head and not one will come out at once. I can understand a lot of spoken Spanish and French; unfortunately they come out garbled together if I try to speak one or the other. Grrr.
So I’ve decided that I need to learn Spanish once again. Katie has taken Spanish in high school so we can practice together and Mel has decided it sounds like fun, too. I have an inkling that when CJ signs up for language he’ll be taking Spanish as well. (High school graduation requirements include two years of foreign language.)There you have it, a new subject to learn that will help me greatly in my journey to work in Library Land PLUS something I’ve been meaning to do for some time. Now I’ve got to see how this whole audiobook learning process goes….

A special holiday

Today, while most of the country is celebrating our nation's independence and patriotism, the JDC tribe will be honoring La Doctora. Her birthday is WAY more important than any national holiday could be.
So everyone take time off work so you can say "HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!" to her in style. We love you and look forward to another 60 (or so) years sharing our lives with you.

Strawberry update

OK, so after the lack of strawberry pie was duly noted, it was off to Spooner's for more berries. This time a half-flat should suffice, right??
Safely back home, I grabbed the trusty Strawberry Pie a la JDC recipe and commenced to workin' my magic.
The pie was assembled and taken to the Yelm property to share with Mums and in honor of Rosie's 8th birthday. (We had a doggie pool party!)
The pie was so delicious that it was tough to save a piece to take home to Katie. (Good thing she made me promise her one!) With the pie polished off Thursday night, but with berries remaining, the cry went up for "More Pie!"
Friday morning, when I went to make more pie, alas there weren't enough berries left. I told Mel if he wanted more pie, he'd have to go get more berries -- but a pint would do.
Not one to let the opportunity slip by to get even more pie made, he returned home with not a pint, but another half-flat (6 pints)!
So there's another pie made, plenty of fresh berries to be eaten plain, and the hopes that I will be makin' more pie later.
As my FB status says, we're trying to see if there is such a thing as Strawberry Overload, but haven't reached it yet!
Nothing like the fine summer weather we're having and fresh strawberries for a Fourth of July weekend!

Sun-loving dog

Bridget loves to lay on the brick pathway and soak up some sun. Silly dog.

Mmmmmmm, berries

Summer is definitely here! I managed to get out to Spooner’s Strawberries and score a flat before they were sold out for the day. It took a few days to get out there early enough to not drive up to the “Sold out. More tomorrow” sign that always makes my heart droop a bit. For those who don’t live here and can’t experience the sweet, juicy goodness for themselves, I’ve included a picture so you all can drool over them. These berries are locally grown and the best strawberries you might ever taste. Their arrival usually sends the Olympia area into a frenzy to buy, eat and store up as many as we can before the season is over all too soon. Definitely a mark of summer here in South Sound.

Why the fork, you ask? Well I wouldn’t want to get my keyboard all sticky, would I?

Now to settle in to read some more of George Vancouver’s descriptions of his exploration of the Straits of Juan de Fuca and Puget Sound – fascinating stuff! But more about that later…

In celebration of Father's Day

We pick today to celebrate our fathers, when in reality every day is a celebration and acknowledgement of how marvelous and wonderful our family is and at the head of that collection of individuals is our beloved JDC.

El Padre should be proud to look at his “progeny” and realize that he had a hand in creating a circle of individuals who come together as deep friends as well as siblings. We might range in ages, interests, talents and abilities, but there is no doubt we all draw from the same source. Our personalities are at once very similar and still so different, yet we are encircled by a love and understanding that binds us into family. And that sense of family extends far beyond the bounds of blood ties and genetics to create a widening group that includes dear friends as part of the family. It is important to note that all of us were nurtured to develop those deep loving bonds that draw others into our nucleus and they become family as well. That is a trait Daddy managed to pass on to all of us.

While he would humbly say that a father should not boast and proclaim his children are his doing, it is undeniable that he played a large part in who we are. His love, encouragement, nurturing, and ability to lead by example all helped us along the way. He can take pride in his children and grandchildren and we all in turn are proud to call him Dad and Grandpa. We honor you not just today but every day as our friend, counselor, and father. I love you immensely Dad.

Moving forward

From here on out, this blog is my own. Really my own.

Spring quarter is over; I did great. The project for LIBR100 that included beginning this blog is behind me and I'm going to be able to post whatever I feel like. That will feel good, and could be entertaining. Who knows. We'll see where it goes.

For now, I'll leave it at that.

Wrapping it up

When we began this journey, I was just looking to find out about public libraries and their goal of providing free access to information. The investigation was partly because I wanted to know more about libraries’ role in society and democracy, but it was also because I wanted to see up close what libraries were offering to their communities. I grew up with the concept of a library being a big building filled with books where you could go to borrow books, look up information, and get help from the librarian in finding what you needed. Of course, I know that now there are computers for use at the library and you can access a lot of information online from libraries’ Web sites, but had no idea what public libraries had to offer these days.

Through my research, I found that the “information” a library can provide access to is far broader than I imagined. I also learned a little about the history of public libraries and how they fit into the fabric of our country. I understand more now about what local public libraries have to offer their patrons. Beyond the standard books, movies, music, and periodicals, libraries have a wealth of information at their fingertips that can be accessed from our homes or at the library; and there are trained librarians available to make searching for what we need easier. But it’s more than that, libraries offer events, programs, and resources that can help people dealing with tough times. Library staff members have worked to bring patrons a variety of things that can help make their lives better and more enjoyable.

Public libraries reach out to their communities and offer services to all patrons without regard to who they are, what their beliefs are or how much money they make. They help those who can’t afford a computer gain access to one and help them learn to use it. Public libraries help people whose native language isn’t English learn to speak it so they can function in their community a little easier. They encourage those who aren’t English speakers to become not only readers, but to ignite that passion for reading in their children.

Another way that some public libraries help democracy function is to provide free access to information about our government and its operations through the Federal Depository Library Program. To me, that’s a pretty important role to play.

If you thought that a public library was just a big building filled with books and other materials before you read this blog, I hope you’ve learned along with me just how much more than that it is. I also hope that you’ll be eager to find some of these free opportunities at your own public library and take advantage of them. In this day and age, who can say “no thanks” to deals like these?

Civic duty

As part of their mission to uphold free speech and foster open access to information, many libraries participate in the Federal Depository Library Program. Since 1813, some libraries have been part of a system that assures the American people access to information about their government’s workings. In looking into just what the FDLP does, I found this information:

“The Federal Depository Library Program (FDLP) was established by Congress to ensure that the American public has access to its Government's information. Since 1813, depository libraries have safeguarded the public's right to know by collecting, organizing, maintaining, preserving, and assisting users with information from the Federal Government. The FDLP provides Government information at no cost to designated depository libraries throughout the country and territories. These depository libraries, in turn, provide local, no-fee access to Government information in an impartial environment with professional assistance.
“As institutions committed to equity of access and dedicated to free and unrestricted public use, the nation's nearly 1,250 depository libraries serve as one of the vital links between 'We the people' and our Government. Anyone can visit Federal depository libraries and use the Federal depository collections which are filled with information on careers, business opportunities, consumer information, health and nutrition, legal and regulatory information, demographics, and numerous other subjects.” (About the FDLP, www.fdlp.gov)
You can check out their video here.

Looking at the directory of FDLP libraries, I found that the following libraries are part of the program: Washington State Library, Bellevue branch of the King County Library System, Seattle Public Library, Highline Community College and several other academic libraries throughout the state, and numerous law libraries. To be honest, I had never heard about this program before, but it’s exciting to learn about. Not only does the Government Printing Office provide the libraries with the documents and information, it also can provide pamphlets and information the library can give to patrons about how government as a whole works and there’s even one geared for kids! That’s pretty amazing if you ask me.

Another facet of the civic mission of public libraries is the assistance many provide in both “English as a Second Language” and how to become a citizen. The majority of public libraries I researched offer ESL classes and information; many of them even have events where people can practice their conversational English skills in an informal setting. There are podcasts, databases and often links to other information as well offered on many public libraries’ Web sites. One public library I found – Kitsap Regional Library – even offers information about becoming a citizen. They have exam preparation tools including DVDs and databases.

Libraries across the country are part of an annual event called “El día de los niños/El día de los libros (Children's Day/Book Day) -- also known as Día. Each year, it is held on April 30 and includes bilingual storytimes, book giveaways, and other family and literacy events. The day is aimed at partnering with parents and other caregivers to help raise enthusiastic readers among Spanish-speaking families. The event is coordinated by ALA’s Association for Library Service to Children and was originally started by children’s author Pat Mora in 1996. (ALA)

Dealing with economic woes

In the recent economic struggles and widespread job losses, many libraries are making job hunting help available on site as well as online. Many libraries are holding seminars with resume help and job-hunting skill sessions. The library in York, Pennsylvania, decided to offer more than help, they set up a day where people (even those who did not have a library card) could come to the library, get help putting together a resume, then print out five free copies. Now free copies might not seem like much, but to unemployed job seekers, it’s a help. The library director said the event was set up not only to help job seekers, but also to draw attention to other free services the library offers. They hope to show people who aren’t already patrons what the library has to offer for free.

In an article about helping library users who are looking for employment and help with tighter budgets, Paul LeClerc, the president of the New York Public Library, said: “We've been in the job-search business for decades. This is a continuation.” (Brustein)

To help public libraries offer assistance to their communities in tough times, the ALA has made available resources nationwide. As part of a grant program, they have made available information from the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority called “Job Dislocation: Making Smart Financial Choices after a Job Loss.” It’s a brochure aimed at helping people maintain their financial stability while they are unemployed. The ALA provides the brochures to public libraries to give away.

The public library is the place to turn for free entertainment, too. With free DVDs to borrow (and sometimes free movie nights at the library), periodicals to read, presentations to attend (including some libraries that offer opera and symphony previews), book discussions, teen game nights, story times, arts & crafts sessions, podcasts, computer classes, and more, libraries have much to offer. One library in California includes on its Web site a “Library Use Calculator” that was created by Michigan State Library and adopted by the Maine State Library. The tool can help patrons see how much money they are saving by using library resources rather than renting movies or buying books. (“Mission Viejo Library Offers New Calculator”)

Christina Hennessy, in her article “Making Do: Library Use On the Rise As Residents Trim Spending,” gave this example of ways one library is helping: “At Greenwich Library's Cos Cob branch, several programs are planned to help families save money, learn how to best use coupons and build shopping lists, and find other ways to cut costs on household spending, according to Kate Petrov, the library's spokeswoman.” There seems to be no end to the ways in which public libraries are reaching out to help people in their communities.

Libraries' role in society

So public libraries play an important role in society by providing free access to information, but what sorts of free information do they provide access to? From the very beginning, libraries have been filled with books and other printed materials, but recently the information available from libraries has gone through a transformation. With the advent of computers, information is more accessible than ever. Libraries have changed the kinds of information they provide access to and how they provide access to it.

Today, libraries provide computers to patrons, not only for word processing use, but as a means to access the OPAC (online public access catalog), the Internet, games, and other resources. Most libraries subscribe to various searchable databases and online reference tools, as well as digital archives and subscriptions. For many, just having a library card allows patrons to have access to all that on their home computers or from the library’s public-use computers. Libraries see it as part of their role as providers of information to offer the means to access these resources regardless of who a patron is. One of the tenets of the modern ALA’s Bill of Rights is: “A person’s right to use a library should not be denied or abridged because of origin, age, background, or views.” (ALA Web site, “Library Bill of Rights”) That assures everyone has access to the digital age; even if they can't afford a computer, they can go to the library and use one. Besides providing computers to use, many libraries today offer free wireless Internet access in their buildings, so people can bring their laptops – or borrow one in some cases – and use them in the library. One library in Waterford, Michigan, found its WiFi access so popular that it put a big antenna up in 2008 and began broadcasting the free signal 24 hours a day. (Wisely)

Libraries across the country have begun offering all sorts of services to their communities – most of them free. They offer free classes in computer use and provide access to online homework help for students. Some provide audio books and other formats of newspapers and information to blind and visually impaired patrons. In the article “Library Sends Books to Handicapped,” Ana Maria Trujillo states that: “According to a fact sheet released by the National Library Service for the Blind and Physically Handicapped, in order to qualify for free services you must be a resident of the United States and unable to read standard print because of temporary or permanent visionary impairments. People with learning disabilities such as dyslexia, which hinders their ability to read easily, also qualify for the services.” (Trujillo) Offering these services to dyslexic people is a fantastic step and allows them to have easy access to all sorts of information.

Other libraries provide downloadable eBooks and audio books to all their patrons. With all of this digital content, libraries have become much more than a building full of books. There is a lot of information that patrons can access from home. While libraries provide access to online reference materials and databases, users don’t need to know how to access these types of information, the librarians will help them – by phone, e-mail, online chat or in person. Library staff members are trained to help information seekers find what they need.

Laying the groundwork

First we need to think about what we’re looking at: Information. I went to the Online Dictionary of Library and Information Services (ODLIS) and it says:
Information: Data presented in readily comprehensible form to which meaning has been attributed within the context of its use. In a more dynamic sense, the message conveyed by the use of a medium of communication or expression.
It goes on to say that: “In his inaugural address of 1801, Thomas Jefferson listed the ‘diffusion of information’ as one of the fundamental principles of the republican form of government established under the Constitution of the United States.” (ODLIS)
Gee, so that means that libraries and their role in making information available to the people goes way back in the history of our country, and they are part of what makes our nation tick. That’s pretty neat, eh?

So I took my investigation further and wanted to find out how long public libraries have been around in the United States. Libraries had typically been subscription-based or fee-based until Boston Public Library was established in 1854. It is considered the first public library because it was the first to be funded by tax dollars and provide books to users for no cost. After 1854, more and more public libraries appeared on the American landscape, but not in large numbers. The American Library Association was established in 1876 “to provide leadership for the development, promotion, and improvement of library and information services and the profession of librarianship in order to enhance learning and ensure access to information for all.” (ALA Web site, “Mission & History”)

In 1898, a national survey by the U.S. Board of Education found that there were only 637 public libraries in the U.S. (Jones 2) One man changed that: Andrew Carnegie. From 1893 to 1919, the steel tycoon provided $41,748,689 toward the creation of 1,689 public libraries across the nation. At the 1903 dedication of the Carnegie library in Washington, D.C., he said, “Free libraries maintained by the people are cradles of democracy, and their spread can never fail to extend and strengthen the democratic idea, the equality of the citizen, [and] the royalty of man. They are emphatically fruits of the true American ideal.” (Jones 4)
Tuskegee, Institute Library, Alabama