Celebrate National Library Week April 10-16

Category: Editorials Editorials
Published: 10 April 2016 10 April 2016

This week, the New Mexico State Library joins libraries in schools, campuses and communities statewide in celebrating the dynamic transformations that are happening in today's libraries. April 10-16 is National Library Week, a time to highlight the changing role of libraries, librarians and library workers. First sponsored in 1958, National Library Week is sponsored by the American Library Association (ALA) and celebrated at libraries across the country each April.

Libraries today are about more than just what they have - they are about what they do for library visitors and their communities. Beyond a place of quiet study, library visitors today find creative, engaging community centers and places of collaboration on new technologies, such as 3D printers and media studios. Libraries level the playing field for people of any age who are seeking information and access to technologies that will improve their quality of life. New Mexico libraries offer a variety of print and digital resources, including e-books, print and online magazines and movies. Students, job seekers, and lifelong learners will find a host of online electronic resources, such as Homework Help and Job Help, and Chilton's Car Repair Manual.

Service to the community has always been the focus of the library, and today, libraries of all types are transforming to meet the dynamic needs of the communities they serve. Library staffs work with elected officials, small business owners, students and the public at large to discover and respond to the needs of their communities. Libraries are more than a place to check out books: they are lifelines in their communities, connecting library visitors to jobs, health care, citizenship services, community services, homework help, cultural opportunities, and, in many cases, their local government leaders. Public libraries open their doors to patrons on chilly mornings, greet kids after school as a safe place, and keep the Wi-Fi running 24/7. In this era of information - in which it flows fast and free all around us - public libraries are anchor points to real, useful information, and the skills to access this information. The New Mexico State Library, a division of the New Mexico Department of Cultural Affairs, is proud to help support the many great things that are happening in libraries across the state.

Libraries are many things to many people. And of course, libraries are still a great place to delve into a good book and simply relax. The best part of celebrating National Library Week at your local public library? It's completely free.

Kathleen Moeller-Peiffer
State Librarian of New Mexico

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