Show the library a little love in February. Check out a book!
February is National Library Lovers month. So even if you don’t have a valentine you can show some love at your library. Do you know where the word ‘library’ came from? It originates from Latin. The Latin word is ‘liber’ for ‘book’ or ‘document,’ which can be found in ‘libraria’ for ‘collection of books’ and ‘librarium’ for ‘container for books.’ It all started with the need to organize collections of documents. The earliest form of archiving began amidst the earliest forms of writing, which consisted of clay tablets, dating back to 2600 B.C. in Sumer.
In post 500 B.C., private libraries with written books were found in Greece. Moving forward a few more centuries, in 600 A.D., the great Alexandria and Constantinople libraries came into the picture. These, amongst other libraries that were established soon after, attracted scholars from around the globe. An Arab dynasty named the Fatimids also owned many libraries by 1100 A.D. Their palace library probably held the biggest collection of literature at the time and was touted by historians as a wonder of the world. Unfortunately, throughout history, libraries were destroyed by conquerors so they could remove every record of the previous community.
Thankfully, it’s been a while since libraries were sadly destroyed like this. People of all ages loved libraries. Libraries are not just places to read books, but also to study them. They make for a great meeting space for forums and collaborations too. Some of the best books are launched in libraries, with author interviews and audience interactions. It is no wonder communities thrive here.
While libraries have evolved so much since they first began there are still many things to love about your library and ways to help us celebrate this month. Start by visiting your library. There is always something to find, explore, or see at the library. While you are visiting you can also use your library card. Checkout something while you are here to enjoy at home. There are so many options to choose from books, movies, seeds, wifi hotspots, and so much more. Your library card can also be used for a computer turn while at the library.
Another way to show love for your library is to explore our online resources. You can even do this from home or anywhere really. We have a big collection that we continue to add too. Learn a new skill, find a new book, and enjoy the Carlsbad High School yearbooks, just to name a few.
Participating in library programs is a great way to show your love and get involved at the library. We offer something for the whole family. If there isn’t something that you are interested in let us know. We would love to talk to you and find out things we can add to our programming schedule.
Share the library with someone you love. Bring a child, grandchild, or a friend. Introduce them to the library. There are some many things to explore and having a library card opens doors for anyone.
Ask us a question. We love to help you find the answer you are looking for. We even enjoy some of the harder questions we are asked. It is always a challenge to discover something new and often we learn something in the process.
Use your voice, we want to know what you think. You can take our survey to tell us how we are doing and ways we can improve. We are also starting to create a new strategic plan and we want the community’s feedback. We want our goals to reflect what the community needs. We are working on setting up focus groups and community planning meetings. We would love to hear your voice and know what you want the future of the library to look like.
Honor and remember the readers in your life with a gift book donation. Bring us an item to add to the collection or offer a money donation and we will get them added to our collection with a plague inside to honor your loved one. Anytime someone checks out this item your loved one’s name will be inside in their honor.
Sign up for our monthly newsletter. This way you will never miss out on our news, new events, programs and resources the library has to offer. We can email you a copy or even mail you one, the choice is yours. Just make sure to sign up today.
This article originally appeared on Carlsbad Current-Argus: Show the library a little love in February. Check out a book!
