Wednesday, June 19, 2013

The Library

That's the new North Pocono Public Library you see above, and I was there when the doors opened for the first time Monday morning.

The building and its contents cost $ 3 million.  In this age of technology and the internet, you might think it's a waste of money.  Thanks to relatively inexpensive computers, we all have massive libraries in our own homes.

Part of me thought the money could have been better spent elsewhere, but you had to look at the faces of the kids and the moms who were there for the opening.  I would have killed for something like this close to me when I was growing up.  I was lucky.  My parents made enough to buy books for me, and I read a lot.

When I got older and more mobile, there were frequent trips to Penn State's library in Dunmore because my high school's library was embarrassingly and criminally horrible.

While I have joined the e-reader revolution, there's still nothing like a good book in your hands.  Judging by the early visitors to Moscow, the people appreciate what they have.  I was amazed to learn 75,000 people visited the old, cramped library last year, and this new library should do much better.

Keep reading.