More Than Book Things

I’m in love with a music video.

No, I haven’t traveled back in time to the 1980’s. I’m celebrating National Library Week with this original song and engaging images created by HCLS Instructor and Research Specialist Kimberly Johanson.

More Than Book Things, Music by Zach Seals, Lyrics by Kimberly Johanson. Performed by Zach Seals.

True confession: I would have embedded the video here but I only know how to do that if it’s posted on YouTube. And, for some reason, HCLS is posting less on YouTube these days. So click the link and enjoy Howard County’s hottest new tune. It’s two minutes and forty seven seconds long. You have time.

*****

“Now more than ever, communities need strong libraries.”

I posted that sentence on Facebook recently and was met with a question: why? We’re an affluent community, even low-income people here have their own access to that stuff.

This prompted me to ask, “What do you think libraries are?” Because it seemed to me that this person thought that libraries were buildings full of stuff. If you have the stuff, you don’t need a library.

As the song says, our libraries are more than book things. They are also more than buildings full of stuff.

This video was created to celebrate National Library Workers Day, a part of National Library Week which honors the people who make the library magic happen. Their slogan: Libraries Work Because We Do. I couldn’t agree more.

Think about the video you just watched. What is it showing us?

Libraries are people. Libraries are communities. Libraries are where anyone can go to get connected to:

What they want to know
What they want to do
Who they want to be

Libraries provide free access to everyone. There is no extra special Platinum Card service for the wealthy. There is no dress code or membership requirements which keep out the poor or unhoused. All members of the community are welcome and all library materials and programs are designed with that in mind.

More than book things

Not just buildings

H-C-L-S

We’ll guide, don’t stress

Your place, you know

To learn, connect, grow

Happy National Library Week. Here’s a reminder that libraries will continue to work for us as long as we make it a priority to support the work they do.

What do you love about your library?

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