Nothing Beats A Good Book… Well, Maybe the Library Where I Discovered It BY LURA ROTI
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his spring I had the opportunity to teach an online Business Writing and Research class for the University of Sioux Falls. And while I was reading one student’s final project, a White Paper on how public libraries can better connect with patrons in this digital age, I was overcome with warm feelings connected with the public library. Growing up, nearly each week our mom would load up the five of us in the family van and take us to the library. The library was one of the few places she’d just let us roam. We could check out as many books as we wanted – on any topic. Then, when it was time to head home, we’d line up with our piles of books and library cards and the librarian would check us out. Library check out was such an efficient, yet calming practice to watch. Remember the days when the Librarian needed to date stamp the white columned sheet on the inside of the book’s cover? I would always look to see when the book I was checking out was last read. Because of our frequent visits, our family got to know the librarians quite well. One would frequently joke that our family sponsored one of the new bookshelves – with five kids I’m sure there was a running list of overdue books connected to one or more Robison library cards. We are a family of readers. It may be because our parents intentionally did not invest in TVs. It was the ‘80s, and even with foil wrapped antennas, our signal was never strong enough. So, we
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KNICK KNACKS OF LIFE
