Welcome to Chapter 26 of the Book Column. February is Love Your Library Month. This celebration is perfectly timed, because February is the month of love in general.
After celebrating Valentine’s Day, now is the perfect time to show the Monroe County Public Library some love too.
The Library is located less than a quarter of a mile from the Sample Gates at 303 E. Kirkwood Ave. Though library attendance is a dwindling number in the age of technology and the internet, libraries are still great resources. They offer community and a way to learn from other people within that community.
If you have an essay to write or a book to check out, Love Your Library Month is a great excuse to explore new places.
After 2014 renovations, the library also has a “Friends of the Library” bookstore on the first floor. The store is open five days a week, from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Tuesdays and Thursdays, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays, and 1 to 5 p.m. on Sundays. The store is closed Monday and Wednesday each week.
This bookstore carries everything from traditional books, to CDs, DVDs, children’s toys and games. Proceeds from these sales go back to the library. Special programs and the acquisitions department profit greatly from the operations in this store.
Along with housing the store, the Monroe County Public Library also offers patrons the opportunity to become a "friend of the library." This special membership offers patrons early access to store sales and other events.
One such event in April, the Big Sale, will take place Thursday, April 12 through Monday, April 16. Friends of the Library have early access; meanwhile, the public will be allowed to participate on Monday.
Other ways to show the library some love this month come in the form of donations. The library is always open to book donations. They make it easy, too. Small donations can be dropped off at a drive-up window.
Even Herman B Wells Library got in on the spirit. Students had the opportunity during the first two weeks of February to post photos using the hashtag #iulibrarylove. The best photos were chosen to win a prize.
The library's Instagram account, @hermanbwells, posted the staff's favorite submissions. Check out those library loving pics on their profile, or search for them using the hashtag.
Wells isn’t the only library on campus students can visit. The Lilly Library, the SPEA Kelley Commons library and many of the smaller libraries in residence halls all have options for students.
February isn’t over yet, so get into a library and show it some love by checking out a book or planning a study date.
