If you're anything like me, walking into a library makes your gut do an excited little somersault. Hearing the pristine silence broken by the gentle rustle of pages, smelling a well-worn book, and feeling the creak of a new spine elicits a response unique to this environment.
A recent study conducted by the UK's Department for Culture, Media & Sport found that frequent library use makes us feel as good as a $2,282 pay raise. While the study doesn't say why we value library visits so much, I couldn't help but write down some reasons of my own.
A Library Isn't Just an Informational Destination. It's a Cultural One.
Libraries are no longer places we visit solely for information - it's a place we're drawn to culturally. Just look at the design of the Thurmont Regional Library in Frederick County, Maryland. The southwest elevation of the library is contemporary while sensitive to the agricultural nature of the area; the interiors recall elements of local agrarian structures like barns, sheds, and covered bridges; while the center spire is actually the community's once-abandoned historic Catoctin Furnace.
Today's Libraries Are More than Books
Frequent library use is like an extra $2,000. Other than your truly voracious readers, what brings visitors back after checking out a book? Archives, media labs, programs, workshops, and other spaces keep them coming back. The Midland Centennial Library in Texas has dedicated exhibit space and a genealogy section. The Schaumburg Library in Illinois has new teen space complete with a lounge, dedicated sound system, vending area, and rooms for meeting, video games, video production, and 3D printing.
Imagine having all these resources at your disposal - at absolutely no charge. That's the beauty of libraries. They give you an outlet for creativity, knowledge, and collaboration while asking for nothing in return. You can visit a library to learn a new skill, research your past, or just take a break in the pages of a good book.
Libraries Simply Inspire
Libraries can transport you to places you've never been before, not only through books but through the architecture itself. Take the Midland Centennial Library where you can sit under a tree and hear the rain while your children read in a hot air balloon.
Or an old Richardson Romanesque library in Piqua, Ohio. Built in 1891 and listed on the National Register of Historic Places, preserved elements like stacked stone walls transport visitors to another place and time.
With everything offered at today's libraries it's no wonder people feel such value when visiting.