Be sure to make use of local libraries

National Library Workers Day is Tuesday, April 8, but every day is a good day to show support for your library.

We’re incredibly lucky to have so many high-quality libraries in the Chicago suburbs, especially at a time when libraries across the nation are facing threats to funding and the freedom to read. As of March, the entire staff of the Institute of Museum and Library Services was placed on administrative leave and grants that had been awarded to libraries were suddenly terminated. In Illinois, IMLS grants were used to support the Talking Book and Braille statewide service, provide STEM and coding classes to students and facilitate the delivery of interlibrary loans across the state. We may not feel the impact of lost federal funding as severely in the suburbs, but these cuts will be devastating for many libraries who lack the resources we have in our community.

What can you do to support libraries? Start by contacting your members of Congress to make sure they’re fighting to preserve library funding. Follow that by using your library. You can support your library and its staff by checking out both physical and digital materials, attending library programs and letting staff know you appreciate their work.

If it’s been a while since you’ve been to your local library, you’re likely to be surprised by everything they have to offer. You might be able to check out museum passes, take a cooking class, participate in a puzzle swap, learn to 3D print, borrow a drill, meet with a small business mentor, enjoy a bilingual storytime with your toddler or even print something last minute when your printer inevitably decides to die on you. Make sure your library card is up to date, swing by your local library and take advantage of the tax dollars that are working hard for you.

Laura Cohen

Mount Prospect