Ever since I can remember, I have had an abiding love for libraries.  As a young child, the library meant the slightly musty smell of the century-old building where I could explore as many books as my heart desired.  I had been an early reader, and the possibility of endless books, all filled with words and waiting on the shelf for me, was tantalizing and irresistible.

As I grew older, and moved towns, the library became a cramped space in a tiny room in City Hall, where the librarian would set aside books she thought I would love.  When the local government threatened to close that library because of budget shortfalls, my indignant fifth-grade self organized a petition, and got my fellow precocious bibliophiles to help me protest at the council meeting.  Needless to day, faced with a group of irate twelve-year-old book lovers, the council voted for the library to remain open.  Today they have expanded and moved to a beautiful new building, and information is easily available in that community.

Fast forward to college, where the library has long served as the traditional refuge for undergraduate English majors.  It was there that I discovered brilliant literary criticism to help me write papers, a small browsing collection to help me keep my sanity, and the fact that libraries were a place I couldn’t imagine living without. 

I have now made the library my career and life’s work.  I cannot fathom what would happen to our community without the amazing information libraries provide.  Where else would a child discover the wonder of words and worlds beyond her normal scope of life?  Where else could an elementary student learn the importance of advocacy and the necessity of having a voice?  What other building would shelter frazzled students in search of a quiet refuge?  And what other institution can provide information to every seeking mind, regardless of age, race, or economic status?  This is my library story.  I am certain each of you also has one of your own.  Please share it with everyone you know, and support your local library by voting for the millage on August 3.

It is without question that CADL is devoted to enhancing our community.  This is immediately obvious when one reads the library’s mission, which states, “Committed to the values of a democratic society, the Capital Area District Library shall provide access to ideas and information that support continuous learning and enhance the quality of life.”  CADL uses its thirteen branches, bookmobile, services to home bound patrons, and online presence to promote a higher standard of living in our local community by providing free access to information to all of its patrons.  Additionally, the library continues to grow in relevance, with dramatic increases in all areas of usage.

In 2009, CADL checked out 2,729,000 items.  This is a 41% increase from the 1,930,300 items checked out just four years earlier in 2005.  These items include everything from children’s books to test taking materials to popular DVDs.    CADL also provides access to ideas via technology, and recognizes the need for free access to computers to bridge the technology divide.  CADL has met this need by increasing the number of public usage computers by 83% in the past decade.  In 2009 alone, 284,000 hours were used on the public computers, and 30,730 hours of free WiFi were accessed within the library system. (Source: http://cadl.org/news/adding-value)

These statistics are impressive, and alone prove the vital nature of the library to its service population.  The most convincing statistic of all is this: 1,551, 300 visits were made to Capital Area District Library branches last year.  This is up 69% from the year 2000, shortly after the library district was formed.  These over 1.5 million visits were made to check out materials, use public access computers, attend library programs, and to ask library staff for assistance finding information.  Without CADL, Ingham County would have far less opportunities to educate itself on any available topic of knowledge.  Support CADL, and support a public institution which provides an invaluable service to your community. Vote to renew the Capital Area District Library’s millage August 3.

A good public library is the pillar of a democratic community.  No other institution can compare: a library provides free access to information and ideas to everyone.  The Capital Area District Library provides this absolutely essential service to its patrons.  CADL provides books, magazines, access to databases, Internet access, and a free wifi network in order to educate and enlighten the patrons of the CADL service area.  Support free thinking by supporting your local library.

With the August 3rd vote for CADL’s operational millage fast approaching, the time has come to start spreading the word about the vote.  What can you do to help? Talk to everyone you know about the value the library has to you.  If you bring your children to storytimes, use the library to feed your book habit, or use the computers to access information, make sure to tell a friend.  Positive word of mouth is one of the best ways you can help support the Capital Area District Library, and make sure they continue to provide invaluable services in the future!  Check out the CADLwebsite for more specific information about the millage renewal.

Got a story to share? Tell CADL Your Story!

Visit www.cadl.org/stories to share your favorite memory of the library. Or just tell CADL what you like about the library. Unsure where to begin? Check out CADL’s Library Value Calculator at www.cadl.org/calculator.

CADL is an invaluable community resource.  As an institution, it provides equal access to information for all people, regardless of age, ethnicity, or socio-economic status.  However, there is a price to running the library, and that is funded by tax payers who believe in the mission and necessity of CADL.  CADL recognizes that, and they have provided a great new tool for you to figure out to financial return your household gains per dollar they contribute to the library.  Click here to find out how much your household benefits by using CADL.