December 7, 2012

Give A Dr. Seuss-Approved Gift: A Library Card



If you are giving gifts this holiday season, consider one of the most valuable (and often free) gifts one can possibly give - a Public Library card.

A library card is the perfect gift for all ages. Introduce someone you know to the magic of libraries, and the magic of books and life-long learning.

You will be making sure they have unlimited access to reading, knowing, learning, and growing.

Author Penelope Rowlands shares her thoughts on the importance of libraries, librarians, and books.
"Like every author I know, I became a writer through reading. I spent my childhood supine — on the floor of my room or under a tree in country summers — endlessly absorbed by words on a page. I think it's safe to say that I wouldn't have become a writer without free access to a library, whether at school or in the neighborhood. To enter one was to arrive at a feast. I hauled bags of books home in triumph. To this day, I patronize — and treasure — my local library. I think of it as a sanctuary, a respite from isolation, and I value the easy access to librarians, with all their perspective and advice."
Give the gift of libraries, books, and reading to someone you love. Oh, the places they will go.

5 comments:

  1. I am interested in how one gives a library card where you are. Here, you have to go and fill in your details (address, phone number, contact details of a person that doesn't live with you (?)) and I don't think they would let you get a card for someone else, especially as you also get a password to check your account online.

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    1. Good question. The best way would be to make a date of it and take the recipient with you to the library.

      Our library is the same in that you need the cardholder present to get the card. But you could start by getting a link to online registration, or an application form from the library, plus find out if there is a charge.

      Going to your local library together would make the most of the gift, though. What an amazing thing to introduce someone to all the resources offered by a library.

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  2. Anonymous12/10/2012

    Love the idea of making a date of it!

    And your libraries need you! Your patronage helps prove the value of the library to your community. They use patron numbers and circulation statistics to present the importance of such a valuable community resource.

    Finally, library cards present the gift of unfettered, private intellectual exploration. Unlike Google and Amazon who track everything you search and view, your library likely has stringent privacy protections for patrons. We're not selling your data, we're just ensuring your access to information. (Check out the Canadian Library Association and American Library Associations for details on what your public and academic libraries do to protect you.)

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    1. Thank you for sharing these excellent reasons for being a dedicated library patron.

      From the CLA website:

      "We believe that libraries and the principles of intellectual freedom and free universal access to information are key components of an open and democratic society."

      "All persons in Canada have the fundamental right, as embodied in the nation's Bill of Rights and the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms, to have access to all expressions of knowledge, creativity and intellectual activity, and to express their thoughts publicly. This right to intellectual freedom, under the law, is essential to the health and development of Canadian society."

      From: http://www.cla.ca//AM/Template.cfm?Section=Home

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  3. When I was little we would go to the library so often to pick out a new stack of books, but that doesn't seem to be the case for kids anymore :( I am always amazed by how much the library has to offer, and for free too! I guess your idea of giving a library card is more of a reminder of the option rather than the card itself (and let's apply that philosophy to all things and experiences in life, shall we? :)). Great idea, especially if you make a library date!
    xandra ★
    http://fashionablylight.com

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