Without Libraries

In honor of  National Library Week, I could be cliché and talk about all the good things libraries do.  But I won't.  Instead, I'm going to talk about all the things you would have to do if libraries didn't exist.

Without libraries, you would have to buy books from a bookstore. That would average about $8-16 a paperback and $16-25 a hardcover.  If you're buying a specialty book, you can even pay close to $100 a book or even more.

Without libraries, you would have to buy or rent DVDs from a store.  You could also pay $50-100 or more to watch movies on Cable or a satellite service.

Without libraries, you would have to pay to attend classes to learn things like knitting or crocheting.  You wouldn't have fun and informative programs to attend for free, and you wouldn't have interesting book talks in which to take part.

Without libraries, you would have a difficult time finding someone to proctor your test free of charge for the college class you're taking.  If your kids need someone to proctor a test outside of school, they would have a difficult time as well.

Without libraries, your kids would hang out after school on the street and possibly do things they shouldn't be doing.  They wouldn't have a safe, welcoming place to be.  Not to mention they wouldn't have a place where they could get homework help for free.

Without libraries, you would need your own computer to find things on the Internet.  That means buying your own computer, paying for the Internet, and doing your own computer maintenance.  And if you need to print, that involves buying your own printer and toner.

I could go on, but hopefully, you get the point.  Without libraries, you would be paying a lot of money for different things that you want or need to do.  Libraries provide a lot of goods and services that many take for granted but would sorely miss.  Show your library some love today.

Wishing you a Happy National Library Week from the perch.