by Jeanni Ritchie
If we were using synonyms in the title I could call this MY MONTH! I love libraries!
As a patron and as an employee, it has always been my happy place. In fact, the library was the only job I WANTED to go to on bad weather days!
I got my first library card in 1974 and each Saturday I would go with my mom to the Main Library in downtown Alexandria and pick out my ten books. Even at the age of five, I was organized. I wasn’t given a limit but decided that by getting the same number each week, I’d always know how many I had to gather from all over the house each Saturday morning.
I still keep books in every room of the house, plus my car. You never know when you’ll get a few extra minutes to read and I like having a book within arms’ reach at all times!
I wanted to share a little “insider info” for fellow library lovers. These are not secrets; but some are lesser-known benefits of a library card. Most libraries have these, or a variation of these programs but this list focuses primarily on Rapides Parish Library offerings.
1.All library programming is free. Art classes, book clubs, cooking classes, teen programs…there is no cost. All are open to the public but some require pre-registration.
2.You can put books on hold through the library’s website or in person at the circulation desk. If a book isn’t available at the branch you use, you can have it transferred over.
3.Downloadable audiobooks and virtual library cards are available through rpl.org.
4.Libraries take requests for new books. Branches want to carry books their patrons want to read. Requesting a book through the online portal automatically puts you at the top of the hold list when it comes in. Click on Request a Purchase on the rpl.org website under Library Links.
5.If the library doesn’t have a book you are searching for, they can request it from a different library system in another city or state. This is called ILL (interlibrary loan) and it is a free service.
6.Youth librarians are encouraged to study booklists, follow blogs, and research titles to help children and parents find suitable books for both reluctant and voracious readers.
7.The RPL has Mango, a free foreign language learning app, and Northstar, a digital literacy program.
8.You can check out free passes to the Alexandria Zoo and the T.R.E.E.House Museum at the library.
9.A TeleHealth Station provides free internet with high-speed wi-fi and user privacy for telehealth appointments.
10.Litter kits and take-home crafts are available at circulation desks for families to take home.
11.Months of planning go into each year’s summer reading program, creating activities and events for both children and adults. It is the library’s Black Friday, Christmas, and Mardi Gras rolled into one!
12.An online event guide is available on the rpl.org website each month. Paper booklets of the Event Guide are available through the branches. There are book clubs, game days, preschool storytimes, afterschool activities, exercise programs, author talks, and so much more.
Celebrate #NationalLibraryLoversMonth this February by stopping by your favorite branch and participating in some of the incredible opportunities designed for YOU!
Jeanni Ritchie is a former children and YA librarian who misses rainy days in the stacks and singing We Are The Dinosaurs without people looking at her funny. She can be reached at jeanniritchie54@gmail.com.
