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I relocated this year to Springfield from the Bellevue-Kirkland area of Washington. In Bellevue, I found a second home at the Bellevue Library, the main unit of the 50-library system of King County Library Systems. I worked there for 12 years as a library page, shelving books, finding books and keeping the building neat and clean.
King County Library Systems is one of the nation’s largest library systems with approximately 20 million book checkouts a year, and having worked in 28 of their locations, I learned much about the importance of libraries in big and small communities.
It did not take long for the library to become my second home, and deciding to move to be with my daughter and grandchildren in Springfield was a major decision on my part. However, after unpacking I headed off to the Springfield Public Library to sign up for my library card and enrolled to be a volunteer page, and yes, once again I found a second home, here in downtown Springfield.
Libraries like Springfield’s are critical to maintaining our democratic heritage. They’re places open for all to be welcomed in as equal. They’re places of belonging, places to find help in navigating the internet, to find free Wi-Fi, computers and printers to use, and importantly to find ample resources for children of all ages with reading programs and events for pre-kindergarten to high school students in support of our school district curriculums.
Our librarians in Springfield, and across America, are working tirelessly in commitment to our communities, working on ever-changing library issues of today that go well beyond mere shelves of books as were the libraries in my younger years. And let’s not forget that with all their busy daily activities, librarians are ardent defenders of our basic freedom to read and to seek information.
A favorite book I recommend is “Our Towns: A 100,000 Mile Journey Into the Heart of America,” by The Atlantic magazine writers James and Deborah Fallows. The Fallows spent five years flying their small plane across America, stopping in small towns like Springfield to see how they have survived “economic hardship, political crises and job losses” following the Great Recession. Upon landing, James Fallows checked in with city halls and chambers of commerce, while Deborah Fallows visited local libraries to “gauge the character of the community.”
Both authors agreed that communities with a strong library, like we have in Springfield, have helped to maintain “strong Main Streets, revitalized downtowns along with good community health and spirit.”
So plan a trip to your library in Springfield soon and get a library card if you currently do not have one. Spend time seeing all of our services, walk our aisles of books for everyone, check out our display of banned books and see why I call it my second home!
