7 Myths about Libraries

I was perusing my “library” news feed this morning when an article from the Huffington Post caught my eye.  “7 Big Myths about Libraries”, written by two co-founders of the Library as Incubator Project was at the top of my list.  Based in Madison, WI, the Library as Incubator Project is made up of a team of women who write about libraries and art.  Let’s take a look at the myths they discuss. 1)      Libraries are quiet spaces… Libraries can be and offer quiet spaces but that is not always the case.  This recalls the stereotypical librarian walking around shushing everyone in the library.  In my 40+ years of visiting libraries, I only remember that occurring on elementary and middle school field trips to the library. 2)      Book clubs are snooze fests…I have never attended a book club at a library, but the in-home book clubs I’ve attended have been far from a place I could fall asleep. 3)      Library craft activities are old-fashioned, boring, or for kids only… Many libraries offer 3D printers - I can hardly imagine that is old-fashioned or only for kids. 4)      Libraries are only about books… I would hope that even someone who hasn’t been in a library in years would know that they are no longer about books only.  They are about information and whatever format that information takes is o.k. with libraries. 5)      Libraries are boring… If you think libraries are boring then you must be boring.  Libraries are about and for the community.  Whatever the community is interested in, the library is interested in. 6)      Libraries are for little kids… Libraries have much to offer children, but they have even more to offer teens and adults. To take a look at the full article, go to http://www.huffingtonpost.com/erinn-batykefer/library-myths_b_5234414.html.