Category: From the Executive Team

It must be human nature to want to classify events as either before or after some watershed event. I’m not smart enough to know why we do it but I often hear and find myself saying something happened “pre-pandemic” or “post-pandemic.”

I’m reluctant to start another year talking about a pandemic that for many was a source of trauma but there is value in assessing how we approach issues in comparison to how we did things before March 2020.

The vocation of a librarian requires a commitment to freedom of speech and the celebration of diverse viewpoints unlike that found in any other profession.
–U.S. District Judge Timothy Brooks (court order, July 29, 2023)

On August 1, a new law concerning libraries, librarians, and books went into effect.

What does Library Lover’s Month mean to you? And why do you think it’s important? 

Nate: Library Lover’s Month is an annual opportunity to celebrate libraries and all the ways they can educate, entertain, and enrich us, particularly by facilitating reading.  I believe that anything that celebrates literacy and libraries and their role in a healthy society is a wise thing to do.

Recently I dropped in on an event where CALS Library staff handed out new backpacks and school supplies to young students who were anticipating their new school year. Back to school is really where the Library shines; in the classrooms, sharp pencils and fresh notebooks meet to record nuggets of knowledge. And here in our branches,

For a lot of people who work with children at the library this window of time heading into summer is one of the favorite times of the year. Our branches begin to see families and younger patrons more and more. Their energy and eagerness to learn are infectious.

This year we are kicking off Summer Reading Club (SRC) with events all over the system,

February is Library Lover’s Month and we asked the executive team what their “Library Love Language” was and why.

The 1992 book, “The Five Love Languages: How to Express Heartfelt Commitment to Your Mate” by Gary Chapman, outlines five general ways that romantic partners express and experience love, which Chapman calls “love languages.”