Libraries--In the Fight Against Loneliness

I recently read and absolutely loved The Borrowed Life of Frederick Fife, a gem of a first book by Anna Johnston. It's a story about Fred, an 82-year old man about to be evicted from his apartment for not making rent over several months. He's been short on cash since paying for cancer treatment for his wife, who died ten years earlier. Not only is Fred a widower, he's an only child with no children, family, or friends (they either died or moved away). Loneliness consumes his life until some strange and comic turn of events enable him to trade places with his doppelganger living in a nursing home, where he's surrounded by kind, caring people. I'm not going to give away the story, but trust me when I say this is a sad, funny, surprising, page-turning, feel-good book. I laughed and cried at different points for Fred and the other characters.

Besides being so good that I savored each page, why am I bringing this book to your attention? Because it addresses an epidemic currently in the U.S. (and in many part of the world)--loneliness. It's ironic that at a time during which we're so connected through technology, a number of us--from kids to the elderly--are lonely. A text or a video chat just doesn't replace real, in-person interaction and communication. I was stunned to learn that the Surgeon General claims that loneliness is as dangerous as smoking 15 cigarettes or drinking 6 alcoholic drinks a day! Seriously! Loneliness can also raise the risks of obesity, high blood pressure, anxiety, Alzheimer's, heart disease, and other ailments.

So, what can help counter this epidemic? Libraries. 

Think about it. Where else but the library can you go to talk with real people, participate in programs, and socialize without paying? As a perch librarian manning the reference/circulation desk, it may be part of my job to be professional and polite, but many perch librarians like myself truly enjoy talking with patrons and getting to know them. I can tell you from experience that a number of people, young and old, come up to me just to chat about whatever is on their minds. Often, I get the impression that they enjoy having real face-to-face connection; for some, it may be the only real connection they'll have all day or possibly all week. And if I and my co-workers can brighten people's days and make them feel less lonely in addition to helping them with their information needs, then that's good. We're happy to fight the battle with loneliness one person at a time.

Wishing you meaningful connections with others from the perch.