Opinion: I think libraries are underrated. The Eugene Public Library is highly honored, and childhood memories collided with community engagement as I paid it a visit.
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When I was a kid, I went to the library to see the turtles and to check-out episodes of “Hannah Montana” on DVD. The small Michigan town I grew up in used the library as a hub for all activities. After grazing the pages of “Curious George Flies a Kite,” my eyes skimmed the events board, and running toward my mother, I eagerly told her which days we should come back. When my visits concluded, I always hoped we’d wander to the basement, where an older man ran a cafe and served olive burgers.
A few of these things sound fantastical, I know. And perhaps the Michiganders’ love of olive burgers is the most shocking. But my story, though laced with obscure, small town anecdotes, reflects my never ending appreciation for the safe haven libraries offer. They are immeasurably more than dusty shelves full of books. They are the imagination of communities and the heartbeat of opportunity.
Recently, the Eugene Public Library was named a Star Library, which means that it is in the top 3% of libraries nationwide. This is its seventh time earning this position. Libraries that receive this honor base their rankings on number of visits, check-outs, program attendance and computer use. Needless to say, this is an impressive ranking for our local library.
More importantly, however, is the impact that libraries have on community members. Not only are they able to provide a community space for engagement and connection, but they provide a safe environment for those who may feel uncomfortable in other places.
For women especially, there is a history of normative constraints in public spaces, but libraries conducted a shift and created a space where women felt safe to use spaces that were originally intended for men.
Even now, libraries offer a range of programs specific to children that give them a safe, fun place to go and engage with other children in the community. One program at the Eugene Public Library gives children the opportunity to own high-quality books for free, regardless of their socioeconomic status.
In 2014, a foundation board member at the Eugene Public Library saw a PBS Newshour special about Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library. The Imagination Library is inspired by Parton’s father, who was unable to read and write. Parton’s program mails free books to children from birth to age 5 regardless of family income. The Eugene Public Library has incorporated this program into their public offerings.
All young children in Lane County are able to participate in the Imagination Library, even if they don’t have a library card. Inspiring children to read has many benefits, including improved cognitive development and language skills. The Eugene Public Library allows for the navigation of these benefits.
So, in remembering my fond library memories, I paid a visit to the Eugene Public Library. It was a sanctuary covered in books, which is quite synonymous in itself. I found a quiet corner to begin my work, and I took in a deep breath of nostalgia mixed with the comforting smell of narrated pages. There was no olive burger to conclude my visit, but the oasis of literature was enough to satisfy that craving.
