What is a Community Library? Why Do They Matter?
by Team LASO on 11/24/15
What is a Community Library?
A community Library is a Gateway Library:
Whenever I think of a community library the first thing that comes to my mind is a place to do research and do your homework. I am not really sure what is taught at library since I am sad to admit that I hardly go to the library. I can remember going when I was in high school to do research or to use the computer and/or the printers since we did not have either at home, but the hardest part of all was trying to get my parents to drive me there. With my mom not knowing how to drive very well and my dad always working, I just stopped trying after having to go through all of the explaining of why I wanted to go. -- Eduardo Veliz
* ** ** *
One of
the things that a “community library taught me was the love for books and how
to treat books. I remember that my mom used to take us to our community library
very often (it was close enough that we could walk, with and adult; or at least
back in the days we would walk) to check out books. Since back then she was
unable to read the language, she would make us ask the librarians to help in
knowing how to look for age appropriate books. I remember the librarians would
take us to the sections where the books were located and would stress the
importance of how to treat them and the consequences there was if not followed.
I grew up reading books like The Babysitters club, Goosebumps, etc.
Being
here in North Harris trying to obtain a degree is a little easier because the
community library showed me how to research on a specific topic. I love
history, and a semester ago I decided to take on the challenge of taking Honors
History. Our only and final grade was to write a fifteen page research paper
(my paper was on women, and what degrees they obtain and how they were used)
using only books, journals and limited two internet sources. Without the
community library sources the job would be very difficult.
Another very aspect of community libraries for me are the programs they offer that allow people to interact (face to face), especially now where this is becoming extinct. The library offers programs for children to help them build skills and to interact with children of similar ages. The programs for adults are there to help us learn about different aspects of our lives. Learning about different cultures and sometimes even learning about our own.
As a community project for my
Mexican-American literature class, we are creating a “mini community library”.
The class is trying to get donation of books and place them at a community
church so that the community can have access to them, and it can help them love
books or help in studying and making hopefully some research as well.
Being a community library outside the “library” will help these people (the majority being immigrants) have access to different books. In order to check books out at a regular library you need a library card, where identification is needed, and unfortunately many of them cannot obtain. This library will be different, and the best part is that it will be located in a spot (place) where they already go to, having zero excuses of not going. --Modesta Leal
