LETTERS: LIBRARIES OFFER EDUCATION, HELP, OPPORTUNITIES

To the editor:

A question: When did you last spend time at your library?

April 1-7 is National Library Week. And if' it's been a while, you'd probably be pleasantly surprised at how libraries have embraced the latest technological advances while maintaining the traditional programs and services that have made them one of America's most cherished institutions.

More than 200 years after Benjamin Franklin introduced the first lending library, Americans are still flooding into libraries seeking knowledge to make their dreams come true.

Today's libraries are not the quiet places you remember. They are dynamic and energetic places where the whole community comes together. Libraries provide children with their first exposure to books, parents with information on parenting, investors with investment information, thought-provoking programs for all ages, and students young and old with the skills they need to find, use and evaluate information.

As our world has changed, librarians have been there to make sure our libraries are up-to-date and viable for people of all ages, incomes and backgrounds. Librarians are leaders in helping people find what they are looking for in print and online. The personal, professional and friendly assistance they offer without any strings attached may librarians truly unique.

Libraries have always been places of education, self-help and boundless opportunities and an indelible part of the American dream.

If you haven't been lately, come see what's new at your library.

BETTY MARTIN

Director

Cape Girardeau Public Library

Cape Girardeau