Last week, our Question of the Week about grocery stores showed how they can be a hub in a community.
This week, our focus has been on libraries, which also serve that role.
Here's what we heard
Shanna said, "My mother dedicated over 20 years of her life to working at our local library. After her passing, I found that even though Grand Rapids isn't my home library, I still feel a deep connection to her whenever I visit. It's during these times that my daughter tends to ask the most questions about her grandma. Libraries and books have always played a significant role in my life. In fact, I was named after a book, and I continued that tradition by doing the same for my daughter. Cuts to our libraries pose a serious threat for numerous reasons.
Curt from Max said, "I remember the bookmobile first. The smell was enticing. It used to park in front of my great uncle's store in Max. Then, as life went on and I moved around, it was always a place of rest, quiet and knowledge. It was always a calming experience, not to mention that lately it's one of the few places that you can go and relax, learn, etc. without having to pay to get in."
Gail from Wabana Township wrote, "Using libraries has always been a regular part of my life. I can remember the details of every library from every school I’ve ever attended and most cities I’ve visited. Keeping a fully staffed and fully open library in town is as important to the community as any county and city funded for profit making organization. It can’t be abandoned!"
We heard from Nancy, who said, "I think of the extreme pleasure as a parent taking our kids to the library to pick out books for the week or the month, going through them, returning them for more, and the joy and surprise in finding new titles each time. All families need to have this opportunity to instill the joy of reading and books!"
Read our Question of the Week post on our Facebook page for more suggestions.
What do libraries mean to you? Let us know!
