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Libraries: Not just for (book) lovers
Amy Wilson Sheldon/Special to the Crier
The Minuteman Library Network has been a godsend for me since March 2020. I’ve been able to use the Minuteman site to reserve novels that would be hard to find via many retailers. I’ve downloaded bestsellers to my Kindle. I’ve even gone really meta and watched a documentary about the New York Public Library via Kanopy, the on-demand streaming service that is accessible with your Minuteman library card.
But, as “library people” like to say, libraries are More Than Books. February is actually Library Lovers’ Month, so in the spirit of St. Valentine, I’d like to point out some of libraries’ most attractive qualities:
Column: Connect with one another with a good book
Amy Wilson Sheldon/Special to the Crier
We’re isolated, we’re hunkered down because of the weather – and maybe we’re a little bored too? Winter during a pandemic: It can be the pits. Our hypothetical watercoolers may be obsolete (not to mention non-sanitary), but I propose we try to bring watercooler culture back with…books. So often, we view reading as a solitary activity. Yet well into the 17th century, reading was actually a communal activity. In fact, 18th century England was a high point for the parlor “read aloud,” as greater access to current fiction led to “elocution” as a popular pastime.