Public libraries, big and small, have the capabilities to help their communities in good times and bad.  And these times aren’t just bad but maybe the worst of all in many of our lifetimes.

Tooting my own horn (because I can), the recent issue of “MLAtoZ“, the Maine Library Association newsletter, ran my article on how libraries can provide help to the residents of their communities without spending any or by spending very little money.

 Within the walls of every library are the makings of resources and services to help people find jobs, write resumes and cover letters, gain access to Internet computers and research databases, find heating oil assistance (a life or death issue in Maine), start a small business, save money on food and household budgets, get assistance with unemployment benefits, make their own car or home repairs, find the best-rated products to purchase, brush-up on skills, and learn new ones.

Public libraries are finally becoming widely recognized as one of the crucial links for the well-being of our society.  Many Americans already knew this but kept it pretty  much to themselves – unless they found an opportunity to tell a friend or neighbor how the library could help him or her with something that came up during a conversation.  Recent TV, newspaper and magazine spotlights on libraries have taken them beyond word-of-mouth.  It’s way beyond time for this to have happened.