Your Library

John sees the doctor tomorrow afternoon, and I'm assuming they'll get him started on PT then. I think he really pushed himself to the limit yesterday, with the drive to Knoxville (even though Margaret did all the driving), walking on campus, and the ballgame. But he's planning to do it again on Thursday for the LSU game. (Gee, what a surprise!)

I had a Friends of the Library Board meeting this afternoon. Part of that included a tour of the mail library for the new Board members. I've been a library user and advocate my entire life. I can't remember my first trip to the library or my first library card - it's something I've always done. I was amazed at all the things that are happening in this facility. Our library has the largest collection of local documents anywhere in this region - newspaper clippings, magazines, city index books, private papers of public figures. This area played a major role in the Civil War, and there are pension records and burial records of thousands of soldiers - Union and Confederate. There is a archivist section to work on conservation of these documents. There are business histories; automobile manuals; how-to books. DVDs, CDs of any type you can imagine. Children's books, programs. Boxes of books taken to daycare centers, and changed out every month. And much, much more. And all of this is available for free. At least free to the patron, the child, the student, the senior citizen.

But these services AREN'T free. They have to be paid for. And, it's incredible that the library is one of the first places where local governments cut funding. Check out your local library, and ask your librarian to take you on a tour to show you what's available. I guarantee you that you'll be surprised! Then get in touch with your local representatives and convince them to be advocates for library support! A city without a first-class library will always be a second class city.

It's been raining hard tonight, so today's photo is rain-wet stones at Clava Cairns, Scotland.