We are an exceptional library!

     There was a real nice article in the July 22nd newspaper by Dwain Walden, the editor and publisher of The Moultrie Observer.  In his opinion, he said: "Here in Moultrie we have an exceptional library with both books and computers available to the public.  There is a mountain of works from talented writers in that building."  He also said: "We applaud those who manage and maintain our public library."
    Of course, I've taken Mr. Walden's words out of context.  That's what is usually done in this day and age, isn't it?  Mr. Walden was, in his article, talking about Connie Schultz's column right across from his on the printed page.  Ms. Schultz is a Pulitzer Prize-winning columnist for The Plain Dealer in Cleveland, Ohio.  Her article concerned the caving-in of Borders bookstores all across the nation and how in the absence of bookstores, people should frequent public libraries more.  She said: "When citizens read, their communities prosper."  That was an interesting sentence.
     And another "of course," The Moultrie Observer has its famous Rants and Raves column, where people can spout off how they feel about things in their community, the nation, and the world.
     One person spouted that they had lived here [in this area] a couple of years and visited the library several times and found old dusty books and a poor selection of magazines, audio books, and movies.  Little does this person realize that the library for the past few years has been operating on slim-pickings.  What with budget cuts in libraries across the nation, the Moultrie library has not been an exception.  Its budget has been cut more than most households, and yet its doors remain open.  It operates with a slim staff, too, the majority of whom are part-timers (you know what that means, don't you?).
     Thanks goodness for the person in Rants and Raves who apparently knows where the new books are shelved.  Maybe the person who ranted about old books has never been shown the new book section, which is to the left of the check-out counter.  Sure we have lots of old books (and free movies with a library card), but how many people know that a good many of our books are donated books?  Book collections by people who can no longer keep their collections; books from generous patrons who buy a book, read it, and then donate it to the library; books from friends of the library who care enough to help us buy books.
     We who work here at the library want to thank the Ranter/Ravers who mentioned "how dangerous it is to produce a generation of non-readers," the "dumbing down of society," and that "our library is a treasure of knowledge and entertainment...[but] we don't have a horde of treasure hunters."
     There is always the possibility of a Fahrenheit 451 in our future.  Or does anyone even remember that book...that movie...that possibility of books being burned?  Which makes me wonder: if you were able to be any book you'd like to be, memorize that book and become that book, what book would you be?  Don't know?  Well, why not come to our library and look at those old dusty books.  You'll find a treasure trove of stories that are older than you to pick from...those books, those stories, called classics.  Wonder how many of our currently published books will be classics someday?  Wonder where they will be housed?  Probably on some e-something, hooked up to the Internet.  Or maybe just a person, when there are no more libraries or e-somethings out there in the future.
     Well, we'll keep working here, managing and maintaining our public library until then.  Please don't let the dusty old books keep you away.  We are SO MUCH MORE.
(Source: The Moultrie Observer, July 22, 2011)