Get to the Library
I can't believe I've written to you about family togetherness for the past 76 Friday mornings and haven't yet talked about the family togetherness magic that happens when we get our families to the library.
I heard someone say that public libraries are the treasure chest of a community, and I couldn't agree more.
I would add, though, that they can be the treasure chest of the family, too - the place where we go when things get sticky at home, the place that opens up a world of possibilities and puts new worlds at our fingertips, the place where anything can happen.
As I write this, my family is five sleeps away from moving out of our Airstream adventure-mobile and into our first sticks and bricks home in seven years, and we are so excited, antsy, and full of anticipation that we can hardly think about anything else. It's bringing us a lot of joy around here. But it's also bringing us a lot of distraction, too, and making our homeschool days harder than they should be.
On a particularly difficult day last week, my oldest said out of the blue, "Why don't we go to the library and get that series I've been wanting?" We had tried to get out for a short hike after school but found our favorite trails too crowded, and I was feeling unsure about what to try next to salvage our day. He could tell I was growing frustrated and it was making him uncomfortable.
So, we went to the library, and it completely turned our day around.
We checked out new books, brought them home, and I watched as my boys laughed and shared stories with each other about a new graphic novel series they had discovered.
Then, it happened again yesterday. School wasn't going according to plan. Everyone seemed to have woken up on the wrong side of the bed (especially Mama), and we knew we should just read good books together instead of trying to plod through writing and math.
So, we went to the library, and it completely turned our day around again.
We checked out a big stack of new books and stopped by the park on the way home to read a few. We found a few good rocks to sit on and stayed until the clouds grew dark and the wind too chilly. Then, we came home and my boys were so into their books that I had to tear them away when dinner was ready.
It made me thankful to live in a place with free public libraries, thankful for the people who work there, thankful for the treasure chest that is our library.
It also made me sad that the craziness of COVID this summer has caused me to forget about going to the library for a family togetherness boost - something I thought I could never do.
I've been taking my kids to the library since just a few weeks after they were born. We were the family who came in every Tuesday for storytime and stayed a while afterward playing with the toys and picking out a big stack of books to take home. We were the family coming back on Fridays for another round. And as my little boys have grown into young men, we were the ones volunteering in the kids room and coming back week after week to check out new books.
But our library closed when COVID hit, and it took them a while to open back up. When they did, we started ordering books for curbside pick-up and letting other families go inside to keep the numbers down. Now that everyone here in Maine has the mask and hand sanitizer routine in place, though, we're happy to get back to our library!
I hope this is a reminder for you to get to the library the next time you need a family togetherness boost, too.
Here's how to get the most out of your local public library:
#1 - Become a regular
Make going to the library something you do at least once a week with your kids. Introduce yourself to the librarians. Call them by name. Let them know you're excited about bringing your kids to the library and you would love some book recommendations. (They're really good at book recommendations.) Tell them the goals you have for your kids' fun reading. Attend programs. Make friends and meet up at the library. Let it become a normal, fun place where you hang out with your family. Volunteer to help with programs or shelve books.
If you travel a lot, buy a temporary library card. They're pretty inexpensive (we've paid between $10 - $30 in states like Washington, Kentucky, Maine, and Florida), and they allow you the freedom to check out books while you're there and use their online ebook and audiobook borrowing all year long.
{And while we're all dealing with COVID}
Call ahead to ask about open times.
Ask what times are slowest and would be the best to come.
Wear your masks inside.
Ask what type of quarantine protocol they have in place for returns.
If your family is high risk or working in the service industry, ask about curbside pick-up. (We've been doing this all summer, and it's actually super fun to see the extra books our librarian puts inside for us!)
If someone in your house is sick, stay home and let the library know your returns will be late.
#2 - Take your time
The biggest family togetherness wins often happen when we slow down and carve out extra time to enjoy the moment, don't they? I think that especially applies to time at the library. My favorite thing to do on a rainy day is to set aside two hours to take my kids to the library and let them pick out books and roam around the library, peeking at all of the beautiful books in every section. My favorite thing to do on a sunny day (when we're not hiking) is to set aside those same two hours and go check out books from the library and stop by the park on the way home, perch ourselves on a few sturdy rocks, and enjoy the ocean breeze while we read together.
Remember: You're not bothering anyone by being there. The library depends on its customers (literally, the funding won't survive if you don't go), so go there and stay there as long as you like!
#3 - Bring home the world
Ask the librarian how many books one family is allowed to take home, and don't be afraid to get close to the limit. As I write this, I can't help but smile as I remember sitting on the floor of the children's section years ago with my little guys watching with amazement as I counted picture books and tried to decide which 25 we would take home. I'm also remembering their wide eyes when we joined the library in Maine and they told us the limit was "as many as you can read and return on time". I always tell families, "Don't just bring home one or two. Bring home as many as they'll let you." Seriously, do. Keep them in a stack by a big, comfy reading chair at home. Read them as many times as you can, and then go back for more. This truly is bringing home the world.
#4 - Put due dates in your calendar
Some people would say there's nothing more embarrassing than losing a library book and then another and another, or forgetting you have library books for weeks on end and going back to walk the walk of shame and pay your dues. I disagree. Everyone loses something sometimes (even the pedantic people), and librarians know that. If you're doing your best, they can see that. Most libraries even have auto emails to let you know when your books are due (AMAZING!), but if yours doesn't, take a minute to put your due date in your calendar before you leave the library so you're not surprised at how quickly the time runs out. Or better yet, make a habit of going by the library once a week on a particular day for an even trade - all old books for all new. Don't let the fear of losing a book or two hold you back from the hours of family togetherness you can have at the library.
#5 - Check out their online resources
If you travel a lot, you may depend on e-books more than physical books. Public libraries are great for that, too. They also have great language programs and heaps of other goodies, too! I'm always amazed when I try to start calculating how much money I would have spent if I hadn't been able to get these resources at the library.
Want help choosing a book?
Here's my favorite book list for teens and tweens (curated by my two experts on the topic).
What about you?
What's your family's favorite thing about visiting the library?
Hop into the email and let me know - I love seeing your stories!