Why I LOVE my Library

Otis Library is one of my favorite libraries in the world - and as a librarian, I make it a point to visit other libraries wherever I go. I'm one of the lucky people who LOVES my job. The Norwich Bulletin has been running several letters to the editor and I'm compelled to add my thoughts.

Reasons why I LOVE my library:

I LOVE my library because I'm a HUGE reader. Last year I read 300 books. This year, I'm hoping to read a book a day. Due to my love of book blogs, I have a crazy long list of books I want to read. No one library can possibly purchase all of these books, so it's great to be able to have them shipped to my library. This is possible due to C-CAR - which is an AMAZING program. Books from all over Connecticut come to Otis Library for our patrons and we ship books to other libraries for their patrons. It's a Win-Win for everyone - especially me. Right now, I have roughly 40 items checked out and another 30 items on hold.

I'm a library lover. I bought a house in Norwich BECAUSE of the library. When the library completed their renovation, I scored the most amazing job here. I'm head of the Young Adult Department. I'm responsible for ordering teen books, hosting teen programs, advocating for teens, and staffing the desk in the teen section. It's the best job in the world.

I think Otis Library is one of the best libraries in Eastern Connecticut. We have a great big building with program rooms, nooks and crannies of different collections, and it's always filled with people.

However in order to maintain our standing as one of the best libraries in Eastern Connecticut, we need funding. The past two years, the library budget's been hit. We've lost money for the collection, we've lost hours, and we've closed for a two week furlough in the summer for the past two years. While we've tried to maintain the same services, it's impossible. We need more from the City of Norwich.

We're more than a community center, more than a center for information, more than a place to grab the latest DVD, CD, bestselling book. We're all of these things combined. We're the place people come to print out their resumes. We're the place teens come to type their papers. We're the place mom brings their children for story time to help build their child's social and developmental skills. People come here to learn, to have fun, to gain knowledge, to learn new skills, to get out of the cold, and to relax with friends.

The Otis Library is the fundamental cornerstone of the community.