February is Library Lovers Month! That means that it’s a time to appreciate libraries, librarians, and all of the wonderful things that libraries do for us. So what does it mean to ‘appreciate’ a library or librarian, and what should you do to mark the month and celebrate? We’ve got you covered with this article, and can help you make your February a little more library-oriented!
What is Library Lovers Month?
Library Lovers Month occurs annually in February, and reminds us about all of the resources available in libraries, how they can help enrich your life, how libraries make efforts to improve the lives of those who visit libraries, and for library workers, it’s a time to be appreciated, and celebrate!
Why libraries are still so important
Libraries house all of the resources that are key to academia and research.
Libraries have thousands and thousands of resources, including books, magazines, film, newspapers, encyclopaedias, archival records, and more, and best of all – have an internal search system to help you find anything you’re looking for easily!
If you’re a student, professor, academic, or are working on research, chances are you can’t function without the library! But if you haven’t made a trip there, be sure to make an appointment with a librarian, or take a tour of your local library. Libraries are key to research and academia, and often have subject-specific librarians with knowledge on your own field of research.
Libraries have grown recently as digital resources.
We’ve become so dependent lately on having digital copies of resources rather than needing a physical copy – and librarians haven’t ignored this need, or fallen by the wayside. In recent years, librarians have spent hours and hours digitizing books and records in the library to make your life easier, and depending on your membership with the library, you may able to sign into the library website, and access the resources right from your own home!
Be sure to ask your librarian about terms of use, and the copyright laws related to the resources you are using, because some resources can only be “borrowed” online, and many cannot be used in certain contexts, or be redistributed by you to others.
Libraries host events and seminars that foster your personal growth.
You may not know it, but libraries are frequently hosting events on a range of topics that you may be interested in learning about. There are often author visits, guest speakers, and seminars to help foster your growth in a particular field or area. Libraries usually have online calendars, and advertise these events on their website, or you could simply call or drop by to see what’s going on!
Libraries form a connected web across the globe, and can locate almost anything for you.
Did you know that libraries make partnerships with each other to help extend the reach of their available resources? Libraries partner with each other all over the world so that if you come in looking for something and the library doesn’t have it, the library may be able to pull it from the resources of another library. It may take a bit longer depending on how far away it is (due to shipping), but you may still be able to get your resources!
Libraries teach digital literacy.
Many libraries house computers for public use as well, and have seen the need to help people learn to use computers, and popular websites. As using the Internet has become necessary for many people, this is of the utmost importance. Check out your local library if you want to improve your digital literacy, and see if there’s a course that may help you.
As you may know, here at TechBoomers, we help teach digital literacy through over 100 free online courses featuring all of the most popular websites, apps, and things you need to know about technology. We also partner with many libraries who use our website to teach their courses! Click here to read an article about how TechBoomers was used to help teach digital literacy at a library!
You can also check out this video about the 6 ways TechBoomers.com is helping libraries tech digital literacy.
4 ways to celebrate Library Lovers Month as a patron
1. Visit your local library and see what’s going on.
Don’t be afraid! Just drop in, and it’s almost guaranteed that someone will be waiting to greet you at the front desk. Librarians love having people come in and explore, and have such a wealth of knowledge about the resources available to you.
2. Participate in a session or event to learn something new.
Check out the events going on at your library and register for one! You are bound to learn something new, and have fun doing it! You can ask questions about a field you’re interested in, and network with industry professionals who may have more resources to help you achieve your goals.
3. Donate money or resources to your library, or a library you support.
You can also consider donating to your local library, or a library that houses many of the resources you love and use. Remember, it isn’t just money that libraries love; you can often donate books and your own resources that you have lying around the house. It’s also great if you’re in possession of an artifact or document with historical value, as the library can ensure the item(s) are taken care of, and housed with their special or archival collections.
4. Consider becoming a volunteer and working at the library, or help put on an event if you have information to share.
Libraries are often looking for volunteers to help with the daily tasks in the library, so if you’re interested in helping out, try calling or sending an email to your local library to see what opportunities are available to you.
In addition, if you’re looking to extend your personal network and have expertise in a particular field or topic, you may be able to come into the library and put on a presentation or seminar. Simply contact the library and see who you should talk to about planning an event like this, and if the library would be interested in what you have to offer. They can help promote your event, and help draw in a crowd; everyone wins!
3 ways to celebrate Library Lovers Month as a Librarian
1. Offer presentations on library resources to help inform new and existing patrons.
Many people don’t know about all of the amazing resources and services the library has to offer them. Try having short presentations about library services, or hosting tours of the library to point out all of the amazing things you can do for your patrons.
2. Talk to library customers about events they would be interested in participating in, and then organize and host events at the library.
Ask the people in the library what they want to see, and then reach out to industry professionals who can help run seminars on topics that your patrons would be interested in. Starting a weekly event, or even a series of events over the winter (or during Library Lovers Month) is a great way to draw people into the library. Community outreach, and becoming active on social media is a great way to promote these events.
3. Teach a session on digital literacy and consider partnering with TechBoomers to make it easier!
Many local residents might be interested in improving their digital literacy – especially seniors! Hosting an event that teaches a particular aspect of digital literacy is not only a great way to draw people in, but genuinely helps many people better function in their daily lives. Try organizing a course or seminar on digital literacy today!
And if you need help planning your curriculum or topics to cover, we can help! Not only do we have over 100 courses that you can use for free for your programs, but we have already helped many librarians plan events such as this.
And that’s how you celebrate Library Lovers Month! Hopefully we’ve given you some ideas about how to appreciate your local library, or how to draw people in if you work at a library.
