Message to the community from Luren E. Dickinson:

Several months ago, I sat next to a man on an airplane who told me about his job as an Emergency Medical Technician. When he learned that I was a librarian, he became excited because libraries had played an important role in his life. Instead of going to college like others in his family, he had become an electrician and learned much of his trade through books he borrowed from the library. Later, he started his own small business and became a successful entrepreneur. He told me that he made much more money with his business than he did as an EMT. Of his work handling emergency situations, he said, “We save lives, but you build lives!”

Think about it. Libraries change lives. Whether we provide factual material that helps a person grow in a profession or start a business, whether we provide opportunities for children to become readers and to appreciate learning, or whether we offer items that people can just enjoy, libraries play a crucial role in our society.

Shaker Library will join with other libraries to celebrate National Library Week with the theme Communities Thrive at the Library. Whether you choose to use the library remotely or in person, Shaker Library strives to help its community thrive. This April we will hang banners that read, “Shaker Library: One of America’s Best” on utility poles near the Main Library and Bertram Woods Branch.

I encourage you to take the time to visit the Library and to take advantage of all that it has to offer. Program highlights this month include the third installment in our Shaker History Works in Progress series, which features Virginia Dawson speaking on “Designing Homes for the Middle Class: The Tribulations of Planning the South Side of Van Aken” on Monday, April 5, from 7 to 8:30 p.m. at Bertram Woods. Robert Houston from WECO Fund, Inc. will talk about Budgeting and Money Management on Wednesday, April 7, from 7 to 8:30 p.m. at Main Library. The Friends Spring Book Sale at the Main Library begins with the Friends Preview Night from 4 to 8 p.m. on Thursday, April 15 and continues from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Friday, April 16 and Saturday, April 17 and ends on Sunday, April 18 with the popular Bag Sale from 1 – 3 p.m. Poetry Back in the Woods features Dan Rourke, Joe Toner and Max and Nehemiah Stark at 7 p.m. Tuesday, April 20 at Woods Branch. Finally, we will hold our Sixth Annual Teen Volunteer Fair on April 21 from 6:30 to 8:00 p.m. at Main Library.

Luren E. Dickinson, Director
dickinson@shakerlibrary.org