September is National Library Card Sign-up Month, a month long event sponsored by the American Library Association and participated in by libraries across the country. As the newly elected Chair of the ALA Student Chapter of course I want to celebrate and promote this event, however I am embarrassed to admit that up until last week I didn’t even have a library card myself. But before you judge me, let me explain. For the past 10 years I have either been a student or an employee of Columbia University which provides me with access to the university libraries. This includes a vast collection of over 12 million volumes and over 160,000 journals and serials. As it is one of the top five academic library systems in North America embarrassingly I saw no need to visit my local public library.
Because I felt it would be
hypocritical to promote Library Card Sign-up Month and at the same time lack a library card, I decided I need to sign-up. The process was simple, an online application, a reference number that I took to my local branch along with my current photo ID, and in less than three minutes I had my very own library card. But then it hit me, now what? My usual trip to the academic library is predetermined with a research purpose and plan. Often times I locate the materials I need using the online catalog ahead of time and speed through the doors to the area of the stacks I need. I also use it as a quiet place to hole up when I need to study or write a paper, and although I feel a sense of familiarity and comfort in the university library there is a concurrent feeling of academic and scholarly pressure.
My experience at the public library was so different. The branch that I visited was brightly lit, people were quietly chatting and laughing at nearby tables, and there was a display of newly released titles placed front and center as you walk in. Books about travel, knitting, cooking, and fictional stories called out to be read simply for pleasure. I lingered there for quite some time, flipping through the pages, deciding which one, if any, to check out. After spending so much time in academic libraries in recent years I was surprised by how relaxed I felt browsing the public library. It brought back fond memories of being a kid and spending hours perusing the bookshelves at the library in my hometown. I had forgotten how much I truly enjoyed going to the library just for fun.
So this September I can now proudly celebrate Library Card Sign-up Month with my shiny new library card, but in addition to that I have renewed my long forgotten love of the library for leisure.
We here at ALASC SJSU would love to hear your library card stories. How do you use your library card? Feel free to leave comments below. Do you have a library card? Take a photo and share it with us on Twitter or Facebook. Don’t forget to tag us @alasc and make sure to use #LibraryCardSignUp.
