Public libraries and patrons: A love story

There’s a heady, quiet exhilaration that hangs in the stacks of a public library — an accumulation of countless words, stories and ideas, pressed close together in the pages. You can feel it in grandiose, high-ceilinged reading rooms and in one-room community libraries operating on a shoestring budget. Libraries stir our emotions: these unique spaces are where the collected knowledge and imagination of humanity join together and everyone is accepted and welcomed.

Like many, I fell in love with libraries as a kid. In my early library memories, it’s usually a summer afternoon. I’m lying in the sun on top of the low cinder block retaining wall outside my family’s home with a new stack of Bobbsey Twins books waiting to be devoured. I can remember the rush of awe and excitement when I realized that my librarian could order any book I wanted through interlibrary loan. And years later, I remember volunteering at my library’s annual used book sale, basking in the love and good will of the community members of my tiny town as they browsed the donated offerings.

This is no unrequited affair … libraries love their communities too! When I think about the work of libraries — supporting people’s need for accurate information, building empathy through fiction, introducing young and old patrons to new ideas, cultures, hobbies and skills — I realize that love and care truly lie at the core of the mission of libraries. In Carnegie, our staff extends that caring warmth when they greet our patrons by name, ask about their days, or go above and beyond to make sure that they get the help they need.

At the Carnegie Carnegie, we know all too well that this is a time of uncertainty. When the pandemic hit in March, our staff leapt into action to care for the community we love: connecting patrons with ebooks and online resources, reaching out to our most vulnerable patrons and providing kids with a friendly face through our live-streamed storytimes. It’s through the support of our community that we can continue to be responsive and adaptable in times like these.

This September, we celebrate the fifth annual Love Your Library month. If you’re in a position to give, it’s the perfect time to show your support of the Andrew Carnegie Free Library with a financial gift. All month, the Jack Buncher Foundation will generously match all donations to Allegheny County libraries (up to $500 per donation). Your donation can go twice as far towards supporting the outreach, literacy and education work that is so vital to building a healthy and happy community. Every dollar helps!

You can donate through our website at www.carnegiecarnegie.org, or in person during our regular hours. This year, we’re proud to offer a new thank-you gift for our donors: an amazing brand new album by acclaimed jazz and blues singer Jessica Lee. Jessica recorded this album in our own Music Hall as part of our “Listen Locally” series last March, and it features the tunes of Pittsburgh jazz legend Maxine Sullivan.

Especially in a time of uncertainty and isolation, we need our warm fuzzies more than ever. This September, share the love!

Walker Evans is the library director at the Carnegie Carnegie.