Not Your Grandmother's Library

Have you been to a library lately?  Did you see any prim and proper librarians with their hair in a bun saying shush?  I am guessing not.  The library today, even in a small New England town such as ours, is vastly different from the public library your parents and grandparents frequented in their youth.

Maybe the biggest difference is that they did frequent the library, probably as often as once or twice a week.  Maybe they had a  paper for school to research or wanted to read the latest Life or Look magazine.  Maybe they needed something to read as they spent a summer afternoon lying in a hammock.

Why do you come to the library, if you do come?  Is it to pick up the book you put on hold from your phone on a Sunday night?  Is it to find information on downloading books to your Kindle?  Maybe you just need to use the wifi between trips home.  Maybe you need to fax or scan a document.  Chances are good that you are in and out quickly.

Unlike the library patrons of the previous generations, however, you might stop to buy a cup of coffee or a muffin in the library cafe.  You might pick out a dvd to watch tonight.  You might even spend some time in the do-it-yourself space using a 3D printer, scroll saw or sewing machine.

No, it's not your grandmother's library.  No shushing going on.  And the library is definitely not used in the same way.  It is, however, still used.  Maybe it is remote usage like requesting and renewing books from your your phone or accessing Consumer Reports online, but the library is still all about connecting people with knowledge and service.  We are happy to be changing with the times.