From Michelle Howard of Children’s Preservation Library in Michigan and Living Learning Libraries in Florida:

Let me just respond to a question I’ve often been asked. Why not just informally lend out books?  Wouldn’t that be more generous? Why make an official library out of them? What are the benefits of an actual library scenario?

1) The books are returned, because it is much easier for the borrower to do so (you can assist them in their good intentions) because the book is labeled and checked out. A returned book is one that can benefit the next young person, while books which disappear into random homes are inaccessible and virtually useless. 

2) A “real” library engenders its own enthusiasm! Folks can see all the great treasures at once, and are motivated to dig in. The patrons feed off the enthusiasm in each other. Great fellowship and mutual inspiration occur when folks come to your regular library hours. 

“Leia, I couldn’t put this book down, and now I understand why it all happened!”  

“Christian, you are not going to believe what Alfred the Great did! Read this one!”

3) A “real” library is a visible entity, and is a more justifiable/tangible expenditure for families. And what folks invest in financially, they care about. Books from a “real library” are more carefully handled. The visits become more regular, and then the families are ingesting more good books!

4) Do keep in mind that having such a library gives us “older women” a chance to benefit the new moms/families coming up. They don’t just hope for books, but for some advice and encouragement, too!  What you’ve learned so far on your education journey will be of great value to them!

I will stop here to say that opening our library has been one of the most rewarding and enjoyable endeavors of my life! Seeing multiple children have access to books they could not otherwise find, and knowing that these are the best books, with pre-“politically correct” content is very satisfying. It is extremely gratifying to see a student go from a negative attitude about reading (and who wouldn’t, if he only knows dry textbooks and mechanistic modern books?), to a realization that it wasn’t reading he abhorred, it was what he had to read. When the fire of good reading is lit within, you are watching a magnificent outcome, with great promise for a lifetime of learning!

This post is part of our Ask The Librarian series, a Card Catalog Project. You can find more articles like this one here. And, we would love to connect with you! You can find us on Facebook, here.