Six reasons why libraries (and librarians) are great

I'm a massive advocate of local libraries, so what better time than National Libraries Day to share some of the reasons why I think libraries (and librarians) rock.

1. Libraries make reading accessible to all
It doesn't matter if you're a child just starting out reading, a teenager who hates the classics and just wants to read something fun, an adult whose salary doesn't stretch to buying books or a pensioner who can't get out and about easily - libraries can bring books to all our lives. Libraries don't discriminate - rich, poor, old, young, male, female - everyone can borrow books from the library, and if you can't get to the library, there are often services available to allow books to be brought to you.
 
2. Libraries are an around-the-world trip, a time machine and much more, all in one room
Without the library there are many, many authors and worlds and times I would not have discovered. I'm not travelling the world anytime soon, or becoming the Doctor's next companion, but the library means I can go from immersing myself in a story set in modern-day Tahiti one day, to one set in Georgian Britain the next.

3. Librarians know stuff
Stuck on a research project for school, university or even work? Ask a librarian for help, and chances are they'll be able to find you the books or reference materials you need, whether that involves research papers, newspapers or something else. Librarians might not know everything, but they can help you find out about just about everything.

4. Libraries are a community hub
My library is full of books, obviously, but it's also a place for many other things. There are parent and toddler groups and craft clubs that meet there. The library displays work by local artists. My library has computers with internet access for people to use for free. The library can really bring people together.

5. Libraries get children reading
I can't stress how important this is. When I was younger my library used to hold a summer reading challenge every year (something which has recently been introduced nationwide), and the reading combined with getting to colour stuff in and win badges really instilled a love for reading in me. Libraries can introduce children to books suitable for them, and that they'll be interested in, and start them on a journey that will last a lifetime.

6. Libraries are about more than just books
My library also has DVDs and CDs for rent, and young people can play a variety of computer games while there. This may not sound like the core business of libraries, but getting people in the door is really important. The books just keep them there.

Let me know in the comments why you think libraries are great.

My week in books (#7)

My week in books is a feature where I share things I've found interesting from the past week that concern books, literature and all things book blogging.

If you were 16 again and ordered by teachers to read this summer, what titles would you be unlocking on your Kindle or Nook? That's the question being answered here in an AARP post about reading lists for 2013. Let me know what you read/are reading at school in the comments.

You can't choose your own family, but you can definitely choose the fictional ones you hang out with. Here, author Jeremy Strong picks his top 10 funniest fictional families (yes to Matilda's weird family and to the Funnybones!).

You might have heard about the new Library of Birmingham. Rather than cutting back on library services, the city has invested millions in a huge building to house books and computers and DVDs and all sorts of other things. It opens on September 3, but you can take a peek here now.

Lisa Tuttle writes in The Guardian here about her favourite fantasy novels for 'people who don't like dragons or sexy vampires'! 

Vicky over at Books, Biscuits and Tea posted a review here of a cute Kindle cover that looks like the cover of a Jane Auten novel.

And finally, this week we lost another literary great - Seamus Heaney. His publishers, Faber, released a statement here, and they also published Digging, the opening poem from the first collection they published of his, Death of a Naturalist, here. Among my favourite lines by Heaney are the following, from The Cure at Troy (Heaney's version of Sophocles' Philoctetes), which seem a fitting way to end:

Human beings suffer,
they torture one another,
they get hurt and get hard.