This week we celebrate National Library Week. As a voracious reader and former teacher, I have long appreciated my local library. Once I became a mom, this appreciation reached a whole new level. Love? Devotion? I’m not quite sure the word… all I know is I owe a debt of gratitude to that charming little building around the corner that I will never be able to repay. Let me count the ways:
Library lapsit
We moved to Boston less than a year before our son was born, so I didn’t have many local friends when I shifted from teacher to stay-at-home mom. Granted, there are a plethora of options for mommy-and-me classes in the Boston area… but they all cost money. When you have an unpredictable infant who may or may not nap through several sessions, those just didn’t seem like a desirable option. Enter baby lapsit at the library. Every Friday we could walk over and sing, read, and, best of all, interact with other humans for 45 minutes. If we had to miss because of a nap or an unexpected blowout, there was no stress. And two years later, my best local friends (and my son’s) are from those early days at library lapsit. (I am still in denial that our babies have graduated to the library’s toddler time.)
Museum passes
Did you know that most libraries now offer free or discounted passes to local museums? Obviously, the selection will vary based on where you live, but here in Boston you can get passes to the aquarium, Children’s Museum, Museum of Science, MFA, and many more. You do have to reserve them ahead of time since there are a limited number of passes each day, but it certainly makes a group outing to a museum much more manageable than paying the full admission price (plus parking or bus fare).
Digital media
You probably know most libraries partner with a platform (Overdrive, Hoopla, etc.) so you can borrow e-books… but did you know that many of them now allow you to borrow movies and TV episodes digitally, too? We embarked on a 13-hour road trip from Boston to Ohio for Thanksgiving this year, so I loaded up my Kindle with some Elmo e-books, a few episodes of “Daniel Tiger,” and “Olaf’s Night Before Christmas” — completely free. Plus, since there’s the option to download everything to your device, there was no worry about data overages… or losing reception somewhere in the middle of Pennsylvania.
A (climate-controlled) oasis
New England winters can be long. When you just aren’t sure how to entertain your kids on another 20-degree morning, the library can be a welcome (and warm!) escape. And on those November afternoons when the sun sets at 4:15 p.m. (seriously, no one warned me about this before we moved here), the library can be a nice alternative to the playground. Of course, this is also true on the (less common but very real) sweltering summer days… especially for those of us living without air conditioning. Whatever the weather outside, the library is a comfortable, well-lit oasis of fun.
It’s not just about the kids
The children’s programs might be what draws you into the library at first, but you might be surprised at how many events there are for moms, too. Whether it’s a monthly book club, a speaker series, craft night, or even yoga night, you never know what you might find. (Speaking of which, did you hear about the newest addition to the Copley Square branch in Boston? Moms’ afternoon out, anyone?)
Last, but certainly not least: BOOKS!
I can’t sing the praises of the library without mentioning what started it all: real, hold-in-your-hands-and-turn-the-paper-pages books. Don’t get me wrong, I love the convenience of my Kindle, but nothing replaces the feeling of an actual book in my hands. I want my son to understand this feeling too. The library is a place where I have seen my students, even the most reluctant readers, light up as they flip through books and realize that maybe reading can be fun. I’m only two years into motherhood, but I can say there are some great pregnancy and parenting books out there, which are much more useful than online discussion boards.
So as we celebrate National Library Week, what better time to check out your local library? The Boston area has so many amazing libraries; you never know what you might be missing at your local branch!
