Your Library and Local Locations

While some people use their summer vacation to take long trips to an exotic locale, others are taking short trips to places that are more local.  Whether you're staying at home by choice or you're just a little short on cash, there's no reason not to enjoy the attractions (which are often free or for a minimal fee) in your backyard.

A good place to start your local adventures is (big surprise) at your local library.  Many libraries, including my own, have a local history or travel section, and if they don't have an area set aside especially for local books, they're likely to have those books integrated into their regular non-fiction section.  There are a number of print materials specific to different regions and metropolitan areas in the U.S.  Some are for places on the beaten path, while others are for places off it.  Some books even focus on particular features or activities, such as waterfalls or hiking nature trails.  I've learned a lot of things about my local area that even people who have lived here for years don't know about.

Another great resource for finding out about your local area is the Internet.  Nowadays, almost everything has a website, and most cities and states have their own websites with information on local attractions such as parks, museums, cheap eats, festivals, and other events.  I'm often busy going to state parks, walking around the booths at art festivals, biking local trails, or dipping into a lake on a warm summer day.  And with the exception of the state parks, all these things are free.  If something doesn't have a website, chances are good that someone's mentioned it somewhere on social media, be it Facebook, Twitter, Flickr, Panoramio, or whatever else.

So just because you're not going to Europe or the Caribbean this summer doesn't mean you can't have a great time exploring your local area and doing some fun things.  Sometimes we take nearby things for granted and don't give them a fair chance.  Who knows?  You may just discover things about your home area you didn't know about before.

With good exploration wishes from the perch.

Mind Your Children, Please

I know I'm biased when I say that the library is a great place for everyone, from the very young to the very old.  It's a place where people of all ages can find a pleasant atmosphere to read, do homework, relax, and quietly get together with others.  What the library is not, however, is a daycare center for small children.

I and my co-workers are always amazed and frustrated when parents drop off children (a number of whom are under the age of 10) at the library so they can go shopping, have dinner, take a break, or do whatever else.  Sometimes, parents are in another part of the library working on computers or looking at books, and they pay no attention to their children who are doing somersaults off bookcases and onto bean bags, risking life and limb.  Parents assume that 1) the library is a safe place and 2) a place where library professionals will watch your children free of charge.

Although the library is generally a safe place to be, it is by no means a sanctuary from the ills of society.  You wouldn't let your 4-year old wander around the mall by herself in the midst of strangers, so why would you let her do the same in the library?  By a similar token, you keep an eye on your 7-year old to make sure he's not destroying public property or hurting himself, but you don't watch him in the library and allow him free reign?

We enjoy helping and doing various programs for kids in the library; those are some of things we like about our jobs.  However, we are not babysitters and have other work we need to do in order to run the library.  There are patrons who need our attention, and even though we do try to keep an eye on our smallest patrons, we're not able to watch them continuously. 

Please, parents, watch over your children in the library the same way you would watch over them in a mall, at the playground, in a museum, or anywhere outside the home.  After all, the library is a public place and not immune to things that happen elsewhere.  We at the library do our best to keep a safe environment, but we need your help to do it.

With happy and safe wishes from the perch.