April Contra Costa County Public Library News

Press release from the Contra Costa County Public Library:

Dear Valued Library Patron,

Libraries are very special places to me. I say this not only because I have spent the last 20 years loving working for the Contra Costa County Library, but because libraries have been an integral part of every stage of my life.

The public library and school libraries in the tiny, rural, Maine town where I grew up were a safe hangout for me and my friends that also provided us some independence. They were essential for doing our homework during the school year and for providing summer reading materials for fun.

They were also places my parents could take me and my two sisters to experience free cultural events, plays, puppet shows and concerts to enrich and broaden our understanding of the world. When I was in college, I spent countless hours in the Indiana University library listening to classical music to prepare for concerts because I was a music performance major.

When I graduated, I always sought out the public library wherever I lived. I spent a year and a half living in Mexico and discovered there are no public libraries there, which was a deep disappointment! When I came back to the U.S. and settled in Richmond, one of the first things I did was get a library card from the El Cerrito Library. That is the card and account I am still using to this day.

The week of April 3rd is National Library Week. First sponsored in 1958, National Library Week is a time to celebrate the importance of libraries, library workers and promote and support libraries everywhere.

This year’s theme is “Connect with Your Library,” which promotes the idea that libraries are places to get connected to technology by using broadband, computers and other digital resources. But libraries also connect people to others and to their communities.

Libraries play an essential role in transforming lives and strengthening communities. National Library Week is a chance to recognize libraries and library workers for all they do.

Please join us in this celebration:

You can also donate to the library or to one of the many Friends’ groups that raise money in support of extra hours, books and programs at the 26 branches.

On a completely different note, Spring is here, which for me means it’s time to start thinking about my summer vegetable garden. Here is a list of resources that will help you grow your own food here in Contra Costa County.

Happy reading and gardening!

Alison McKee
County Librarian

This press release was produced by the Contra Costa County Public Library. The views expressed here are the author’s own.