Love Your Library
Posted By: Jenny Pedersen
Date Posted: 1/27/2021
Love Your Library / by Jenny Pedersen, Community Librarian
There’s a lot of love going around this month, and I’d like to invite you to extend your love to the library.
February is Library Lovers’ Month: a month-long celebration of libraries of all types—school, public, academic, and special (such as medical or law libraries). This is a time for everyone to recognize their value and to work to assure that the nation’s libraries will continue to serve.
And it’s the perfect time to celebrate Deschutes Public Library, which just celebrated its 100-year anniversary and is looking forward to its next 100 years thanks to the support of the community.
I wrote an article on this topic for The Redmond Spokesman back in 2016 highlighting all they cool ways I was able to use my library. Several of the Library’s services are currently unavailable due to COVID-19 (High Desert Museum Passes, y’all!), so I thought I’d update the list to show how the library is helping me weather the dark winter of the pandemic:
- My husband and I decided to invest in some new kitchen knives and we accessed Consumer Reports through the library’s Consumer Resources page to research the various options and compare ratings. Now I need to check out a book on first aid since I’m used to my old, dull blades.
- Audiobooks! I listen to audiobooks ALL THE TIME—when I’m driving, when I’m hiking, when I’m doing chores. Honestly, they are the reason I clean my house. With so much listening, I burn through DPL’s OverDrive subscription. I most recently listened to When No One is Watching by Alyssa Cole and it was fantastic.
- I’m learning Spanish through two online learning resources: Gale Courses (six-week, teacher-moderated courses) and Mango Languages (self-guided online learning platform). One day, I will be able to communicate with customers without the support of my Latino Services colleagues!
- We’re burning through movies and TV shows in the evenings and the Library’s Kanopy and Hoopla subscriptions are keeping us stocked in free, immediately available streaming content. Seriously, have you seen What We Do in the Shadows??
- Cooking. So much cooking. I’m testing recipes from gorgeous new cookbooks (here, here, here) to see if I like them before buying my own copies. I’m also downloading and reading Cook’s Illustrated on my tablet thanks to my library RBdigital account.
- I’m taking part in a variety of programs from book clubs and discussion groups to informational and fun presentations to trivia nights. There are too many to list here, but our events calendar and YouTube page are packed with offerings for all ages.
- Speaking of which, I’m going to see two amazing authors speak live in February: Ta-Nehisi Coates in conversation with Mitchell S. Jackson. In March there’s more from Author! Author!, and in April from A Novel Idea.
- We’re shaking up our evening routine of streaming TV and movies (see above) by playing new games we’ve checked out. I’m honestly surprised that at the time of compiling this list the chess set is available thanks to the popularity of a certain show.
- I don’t have kids, but I have a lot of friends who do and this past year has been tough for both parents and teachers trying to support students’ learning. That’s where your Library’s curriculum crates can help—a crate filled with books and activities on specific topics. Yes, please!
- With all the TV and movie streaming and game playing (see above and above), I’m doing a lot of sitting these days. I need to exercise, but I’m really out of shape so need to start small. I found a fantastic book on Hoopla—Strength Training for Seniors (I’m in my 40s :D)—that has a 12-week program. Even though items only check out for three weeks, there are never any waitlists for books in Hoopla so I’m able to keep re-checking it out as needed. Sweet.
- And, as always, I have way more books checked out than I possibly have time to read. When I get in a slump and can’t find a good book to match my mood, I use the library’s MyReads service for personalized reading recommendations. <3
And that’s just a sample from this month! You can find more inspiration for how to use your library here.
So how can you love your library this month? Get yourself a library card if you haven’t yet and use our resources and services to connect with your community. Remember, this is your library. Let us know how we can serve you and turn you into a library lover.