Greenwich Free Library
August Newsletter
No matter where you go, there you are.
Although a search of this phrase produces essays about Confucius and mindfulness and other lofty topics, I always associate it with Mad Max: Beyond Thuderdome or, in my classier moments, with Buckaroo Bonzai - perhaps the ultimate 80's movie. (I linked to a long clip so you can fully appreciate the outfits.) I was reminded of it recently when I got an email from a travelling patron. Tracy wrote:
"I thought of you when I made use of libraries in North and South Dakota, sometimes in very small towns, to check email and figure out logistics and options, and recharge my laptop and/or phone. I would get all excited when I saw the universal library symbol during a seemingly endless drive. They were a godsend, especially when I was camping."
Public libraries are a common denominator for small towns and big cities all around our country. They are the gifts we give ourselves and to the weary traveler just passing through. In his latest book, Our Towns, written with his wife Deborah on a five year 100,000 mile exploration of America, author James Fallows noted the place of libraries at the heart of so many communities. In an article he wrote about the trip for Atlantic magazine, he remarked:
"By most measures of use—classes and programs offered, daily attendance, visits to the website, everything except calls to reference librarians for the research people can now do on Google—libraries are becoming more rather than less popular and central to civic life. The soft measures of impact are powerful: Walk into a random public library, and you’ll see waiting lines for computers, librarians helping with job searches or other practical concerns, desk space for young entrepreneurs."
In Greenwich, we get our share of seasonal traffic. Folks who come for the whole summer get cards to take out books for the three months they're here and some have even joined our volunteer force. Visitors with children attend our kids programs. Vacationers who have run out of reading material (horrors!) are saved by our paperback exchange and book sale cart. People who have to work while on vacation (boo!) find quiet corners to pound their laptops and make phone calls. We are happy to return the favors done to our patrons by libraries across the nation and welcome anyone who comes in our door. Because universal access for all is one of the founding principles of American public libraries, you'll find on your travels that no matter where you go in the US, there we are.
For everyone planning to be here this summer, keep reading to find out what we've got for you. And don't forget to check our website for information on events and services, to find out what new titles we have and to search our catalog.
- Annie
Great American Read at the Fair Needs YOU!
Spend a couple of hours talking about books with folks at the Washington County Fair!
Help people cast their votes and tell them about our other Great American Read programs. Volunteers will get a free one day admission to the fair.
To sign up for a shift, call the library (518) 692-7157 or fill in this Doodle Poll. Be sure to leave a contact phone number in the comments section.