Long Live the (Public) Library

So many successful people can trace back their love of knowledge (and perhaps their success as adults) to time spent at a public library.

Libraries are some of my favorite places in the world but, unfortunately, I haven't been spending much time in them lately. COVID closed many public libraries and only recently have local libraries opened back up to what might be considered normal hours. University libraries, for the most part, remain closed off except to students and faculty.

I fear for our public libraries because it is an easy budget to cut when money gets tight. The neighborhood library of my youth was closed about a decade ago because of centralization and budget cuts. Not sure where I would be today without that Main South Branch. But now it's gone with nothing to replace it for the kids in that neighborhood.