Libraries are just as much a community hub as any coffee house or breakfast joint. Your patronage will make a difference! Nowadays, libraries host events, offer free classes, and are a place we can go for some nice quiet time with a book or magazine. To me, they are as holy as shrines.
Drop off your old magazines at a retirement home, hospice, or any other place where the residents or patients may enjoy them. At my place of work, we get large-print copies of our books sent in multiples, so we keep one for our library, send one to the author, and share the others with our local retirement home. An elder Beat poet lives in the El Cerrito village for seniors, so I can drop off a collection of magazines and large-print books and then sit down for tea and a nice chat. I leave having received much more than I brought with me.
Read a child a story. Introducing children to the world of books while they’re young will help boost their imagination and intelligence (and will also strengthen your bond). Whether you are babysitting, reading to your own child, or volunteering at a library or hospital, this deed goes a long way.
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| https://littlefreelibrary.org/ |
I keep seeing these charming itty bitty libraries in my neighborhood, where you can take a book or give one in return. Some are plain serviceable boxes somewhat like a birdhouse for books and some are very ornate, not unlike something you might find in the upscale section of the Shire. The organization Little Free Library (LittleFreeLibrary.org) describes their mission this way:
It’s a “take a book, return a book” gathering place where neighbors share their favorite literature and stories. In its most basic form, a Little Free Library is a box full of books where anyone may stop by and pick up a book (or two) and bring back another book to share. You can, too!
