The importance of libraries (and Ferguson, Missouri's in particular!)

I’m a big fan of libraries going back as far as childhood. This won’t surprise any of you who know how much I love to read. Growing up, my mom, sister and I visited our library about once a week in the summer, and I distinctly remember when I could write enough to fill out the form to get my own library card. I was probably about 7 or 8.

A year and a half ago, the latest library branch in my county near Atlanta opened up. It’s beautiful. Every time I stop in I’m amazed at how many people are in there. In that community room on the left as you go in, it’s almost never empty. I’ve walked by county commissioners’ lunches, genealogy workshops, knitting classes and book clubs going on in there. I’m glad to see that libraries are noticing that patrons sometimes want a little something different from what a library has traditionally offered.   
 
If you can remember back a few months to the riots in Ferguson, Missouri, over the killing of Michael Brown, the 18-year-old African American male, by a police officer, while most of the news coverage was focused on the protesters, the property damage and the police officer, did you notice that the Ferguson Library made the news?

The Ferguson library was determined to stay open to provide a place to go for people who didn’t have one and to be a pillar for this crumbling community.

According to ABC News, after Michael Brown’s death on August 9, the Ferguson Library used their social media platforms to tell Ferguson residents that they were open to provide respite for those who needed a place to go, a place to check email and a place to get a bottle of water. Their tweet read, “We are here for all of our residents. If you want to come, get water, read, check email, we are here….” That week while schoolchildren were delayed in starting their school year, people came to the library seeking a safe community. Teachers who were unable to start their school year, showed up at the library to meet their students and give lessons to any children who wanted them. One hundred and twenty children came to be with teachers that week.  

In November, a writer named Ashley Ford who lives in Brooklyn noticed this and tweeted out that her way of helping the people of Ferguson was to donate money to their library. Her idea caught fire online and was retweeted numerous times. I happened to notice it the Tuesday before Thanksgiving and I kept coming back to Twitter to see people’s messages and the Ferguson Library’s tweets about how committed they are to their community.

According to the Los Angeles Times, in a matter of weeks, $350,000 had been donated to the Ferguson Library, and they have been the recipient of numerous book drives from around the country. $350,000 represents about 85% of their annual budget. With this money, for example, just this week, they have hired two full-time children’s librarians. No doubt they’ll be able to do countless other great things with this money.

The library continues to stay active on social media. Recently they've posted inspiring quotations by Martin Luther King, Jr., advertised that they have free after school tutoring and talked about their most recent award, the MLK Drum Major for Service Award, presented by President Obama.

And meanwhile, they’re still tweeting out uplifting happy messages from a town still in need of a lot of healing. For example, one of this week’s tweets has been: “Life can throw some pretty hard challenges but kids who read learn to believe in themselves.”

A Little Free Library Discovery

Last week I vacationed with my family in Wrightsville Beach, NC, which is my favorite place to read a book. It rained all week so I got a lot of reading in. Between showers one afternoon I was out for a bike ride. There's an adorable house just off the main road and for the first time I noticed a Little Free Library had been installed in front.

If you're not familiar, Little Free Libraries are bigger than a birdhouse and smaller than a dollhouse. They open and inside people leave books for others to borrow and enjoy. I first heard of them a few years ago but hadn't yet found one to visit.

This particular Little Free Library is just off "the loop," a two-and-a-half-mile sidewalk for running, walking and biking. Therefore, this Little Free Library boasts the clever name "Little Free Library on the Loop." Inside it are a guest book and information on the Little Free Library program.

I went back the next day and donated my extra copy of The Things They Carried by Tim O'Brien.

When I went back again the following day, my book had already been borrowed. I love this, and I want one!

Happy Holidays!

This morning my husband and I went to the Atlanta Christmas Parade, which was tons of fun. I snapped a few pictures that relate to this blog. In order above, they are 1) Wild Thing; 2) Cobb County Libraries; and 3) The Cat in the Hat. Happy Holidays!

Celebrating 50 Years

Last night, I attended Decatur Library's program, "Celebrating Mockingbird," with friend and recent transplant to the South, Lori. The panelists were Southern literary professor Tom McHaney, high school English teacher and Monroeville native Cathy Powers, and actor Tom Key, who has played the role of Atticus Finch on stage. McHaney and Powers had an interesting dialogue about the power of To Kill a Mockinbird and its impact on readers over the last 50 years. Powers was able to speak specifically to Author Harper Lee's wish to remain unbothered by reporters and others who love the book. When asked how Monroeville citizens felt about the book's publication, she said everyone was excited about it except those who showed up in the book. As discussion wrapped up, Key did a monologue of Atticus Finch's closing arguments in the trial of Tom Robinson, which was fantastic.The auditorium at the library was nearly full, and parking was hard to come by. It's nice to know I'm not the only one holding this novel in such high regard, and that after 50 years, To Kill a Mockingbird can still draw a crowd.

Books into Art

The Gwinnett County Library System (Georgia) has sponsored a contest for turning old books into new art. Twenty-three entries were selected for display at The Jacqueline Casey Hudgens Center for the Arts, 6400 Sugarloaf Pkwy., Building 300 in Duluth. Admission is $5 for adults and $3 for students, seniors and children (free for children under age two). The exhibit runs through May 27, and a closing reception will be held that day at 6 p.m. The reception is free and open to the public. To read the story in the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, click here.

Movie: To Kill A Mockingbirrd

Yesterday my neighbor graciously agreed to attend a showing of the movie, To Kill a Mockingbird, with me at our local library. Though this is an adaptation of my favorite book, I had only seen the movie once before, which was right after my ninth grade English class finished reading the book. So, it's been a few years.

We thoroughly enjoyed ourselves. A local English professor set the stage before the movie started with helpful information about differences between the book and the movie, and historical information about what was happening in the United States in and around 1960 when To Kill a Mockingbird was first published. For instance, Mrs. DuBose's morphine addiction doesn't appear in the movie. Gregory Peck was forever after associated with his Atticus Finch character. The novel tackles important social issues and falls into the category of the Southern Gothic novel genre (I'll likely be looking more into that). The novel also classifies as a bildungsroman for Scout, who grows from innocence to experience over the course of the novel (and movie).

The library had popcorn, water and soft drinks available, and gave out door prizes. My neighbor and I were disappointed to have not won one of the three copies of the novel they gave away or the pair of tickets to the play that will be performed in our county this fall. I'll probably be seeing the play anyway, even though I didn't win those tickets!

Margaret Mitchell Exhibit

I've covered all sorts of Margaret Mitchell and Gone With the Wind stuff here on my blog (if you need to review, click here, here, here, here and here). On Friday, I finally got around to seeing the exhibit that's on permanent display at the Central Library branch of Atlanta-Fulton Public Library. Though the current building was constructed in 1980, the previous Central branch was where Mitchell conducted much of her research on Atlanta and the Civil War during the writing of her famous novel. Today, the square on which the library sits is named for her, and an exhibit on the fifth floor honors her. To see more information on the exhibit, click here.

I was unsure if photography was permitted, so I turned the flash off on my camera and snapped a quick picture of the item I thought was most interesting: her typewriter. A gift from Mitchell's husband, it is what she used to write Gone With the Wind.

Book Sale to Benefit Forsyth County Public Libraries

The Forsyth County Public Library Friends & Advocates is hosting their Fall Book Sale on Saturday and Sunday, October 17 and 18 at the Cumming branch. The sale will be open Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Sunday from 1:30 to 4 p.m.

All children’s books are $.25 each. Most hardback books are $1 and paperbacks will range from $.25 to $.50. Multimedia items and CDs will also be for sale.

Members of the Forsyth County Public Library Friends & Advocates have the opportunity to shop on Friday, October 16 from 2 to 5 p.m.

The Cumming branch is located at 585 Dahlonega Road.

All proceeds from the sale will benefit Forsyth County Public Libraries.

For more information on the book sale, visit www.forsythfol.org.