Letter: Library Is More than It May Seem

For a long time, I believed that a library was simply a nicer way of saying that it was a graveyard for unwanted books; a place to store away all those musty, outdated tomes, and ensure that they couldn’t contaminate the latest “Stephen King” novel or “Harry Potter” sequel with their crusty, yellowed pages and dust jackets covered in actual dust. 

However, my eyes were finally opened to the truth about a year ago, and I discovered just how incredible our town library actually is – and you don’t even have to pay a membership fee every month in order to join!

I’m sure everybody has their own story of what the library means to them, but for my family and I, it became a sanctuary where we could go to escape the insanity of our daily schedules, if only for a little while.  My youngest brother would go there over the summer, on any given scorching hot afternoon, and he would use one of their desktops to get on the internet and check his email when our home computers were all being used.  I believe he also enjoyed having an air-conditioned room to sit in, as our house lacked any kind of cooling system at the time. 

When he was back at home from college during the holidays, he would go to the library to get some peace and quiet while trying to study or write a paper, as the decibel level never dropped below the equivalent of a jet engine when Halloween candy or chocolate chip cookies fueled our conversations.

When my father was searching for a job, he would go to the library for a variety of reasons, and their resources eventually allowed him to achieve two of his most successful accomplishments in the last year:  Getting a great new job that he truly enjoys, and establishing , a support group for unemployed and underemployed residents.  It was in the River Edge Public Library that the idea was conceived, and it also played host to their first-ever meeting. 

Considering how rapidly the group has grown, and how many members have managed to find new jobs, it is important to note that none of it would have been possible without the support of local libraries and their staff, who have given much of their time and expertise to aid others in their time of need.

I cannot stress just how valuable a resource the library can be, no matter what type of job or project you are working on.  For me, it was the most massive research source I could need, allowing me to study and dissect the writing styles and narrative structures of every type of fictional work I could devour as I pursued my aspirations of becoming an author. 

I looked at the way someone like Kurt Vonnegut would allow his novels to unfold, slowly building up momentum to a big climax that would force you to alter the way you viewed a situation, offering a unique perspective outside of what you think you know.  I found myself doing that very same thing when I learned that even with how much my family and I had come to depend on the library, we actually knew very little about the services they offer and the staff that work there.

I’ll admit, I was initially surprised when I found out how much formal education and certification it takes to become a librarian, but as I thought about how much they are required to do and the wide variety of topics they need to be well-versed in, it actually made perfect sense to me.  Like school teachers, they can have a major impact on directing others down their own paths of education, yet they are often underappreciated for their efforts. 

I was astounded to see some of the programs the offered, such as a full-text database that is even available through their website; career search and advisement programs; CD’s and DVD’s, including screening films for both adults and children; resources for creating business plans, and finding and applying for government-sponsored grants – and this is all in addition to the extensive selection of books they still offer.

When you realize that they have managed all of this on a , you can’t help but be impressed by all the hard work by the staff to continue to offer us all these wonderful opportunities, and we should be very grateful to them for pulling off such a feat.  However, to cut their budget any more would cost us many of these resources, and we might lose them permanently. 

Imagine not being able to borrow a copy of “Oh, The Places You’ll Go” when your child is first learning to read, or not being able to attend a meeting because the library is forced to close early.  We all understand that the economy is still not quite as healthy as it could be, and money is still very tight for everyone, but this isn’t the place to cut any more money out to balance the budget. 

In fact, I’m sure if you asked the staff for help, the would have the resources you need in order to figure out a way to account for any money needed in order to prevent cutting out any more from one of the town’s most important institutions.

Matthew Fugazzie of River Edge