My Mom was a librarian. And, a good friend just got a new job to head up a (wealthy) suburban public library outside Boston. The sad part is that she's leaving a city that perhaps needs a library more than most. All the school libraries in the city have been shuttered. The public library is only open three days a week - and never on the weekend. The building is falling apart. The police are in now and again to manage violence and on occasion homeless visitors.

I bring this up for a few reasons.

First, as I look down from the upstairs stacks in my library the 12 or so "free to the public" Internet terminals are all full. Lots of clicking of keys, but no talking. The users are old and young, black and white and brown and yellow. Did I mention it's Jan 2 at 4:30 pm? The kids in this town are still on vacation! But they are here. Some are on Facebook, but most seem to have papers on screen. Other people have resumes. One woman was printing out recipes. It's perfect. Why are these folks here and not surfing the Web at home? Some I'm sure have no computer at home. Others must share the one they do have with others. Some probably like the quiet. Some others may even like the heat. (It's 15 degrees outside.) I don't care which reason draws them here; I love to see those computers busy.

Second, let's consider library geography. My city's main library is in the same "campus" as the High School and the City Offices. I like that - we put our politicians, our kids and our books right together. Actually, in this compact city of 77,000 packed into four square miles, we have two other branches. One is our our main square (Davis) and is well-known as home of one of the few public bathrooms in the square. I hope it's well known for more than that. The other branch is up in East Somerville, just across the street from the bar where my running club meets. I'm not sure of the history of that branch, but the neighborhood seems as worthy as any.

Third, I want to point out that some smart, rich folks, like libraries, too. The Gates Foundation has donated $7 million to get faster Internet access in public libraries. The CIO article on this donation notes that library visits are up "in these troubled times" and that "a recent report by the American Library Association found that 73 percent of public libraries are the only source of free, public Internet access in their communities."

I know around here we love our library. We love it so much that when the city planned to open the main branch only on Saturdays (and not Sundays) in the winter, we spoke up and got Sunday hours. It's packed 1-5 pm on Sunday. I believe that libraries are going to one of the key resources that get all of us through this financial crisis, whether they provide the hardware and Internet access for students (of all sizes, including college) or the resources to find jobs or the free DVD movies and museum passes for family fun. Oh, and then there are the books. True fact: My Mom got several of the required books I needed for my first quarter of college on long term loan from the local library, so I didn't have to buy them. Then she mailed them to me in Chicago. When I came home for winter break I returned them. How cool is that?

So, go pay attention to your library. Use it. Support it. If it's not busy like mine, find out why.