Libraries evolve to meet community needs

This week, the BHM Regional Library system joins libraries in schools, campuses and communities nationwide in celebrating National Library Week, a time to highlight the value of libraries, librarians and library workers.  

Libraries today are more than repositories for books and other resources. Often the heart of their communities, campuses or schools, libraries are deeply committed to the places where their patrons live, work and study.  Libraries are trusted places where everyone in the community can gather to reconnect and reengage with each other to enrich and shape the community and address local issues.

Librarians work with elected officials, small business owners, students and the public at large to discover what their communities needs are and meet them.  Whether through offering e-books and computer classes, materials for English-language learners, programs for job seekers or those to support early literacy, librarians listen to the community they serve, and they respond.

Our libraries serve local communities with books, movies and music. We have digital and print resources for students of all ages. We offer free public access to computers and the Internet. Librarians help patrons through the maze of the Internet to help find reputable resources and information. We offer literacy initiatives for young children to have a solid foundation for school.

Service to the community has always been the focus of BHM Regional Library. While this aspect has never changed, libraries have grown and evolved in how they provide for the needs of every member of their community.

Stop in at your local branch to read, connect and learn.

First sponsored in 1958, National Library Week is a national observance sponsored by the American Library Association (ALA) and libraries across the country each April.

For more information about our locations, hours and programs, visit our website at www.bhmlib.org or call 252-946-6401.

Susan Benning is the director of BHM Regional Library.