Celebrate the Season of Giving at Your Local Library

The winter holiday season can be a bustling time when family and friends gather to celebrate, rejoice, and bring a festive bit of light to the darkest time of the year. But it is also a time of reflection and generosity, when we appreciate the good things in our lives and recognize that there are others who are not as fortunate. This time of year is known as the season of giving, when people come together to give back to their communities and help out those in need.

Libraries give a lot to their communities all year round by offering valuable resources and services. Many even run outreach programs to help their most vulnerable community members. During this special time of year, you can show appreciation for all that libraries provide by giving back through volunteering or other charitable contributions.

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How Libraries Support Their Communities

It can be easy to take libraries for granted and to forget that all the things they do are a generous benefit to their communities. Libraries care about their patrons and strive to serve everyone, no matter who they are. They are often a haven for the most marginalized members of society and try to help those in need as best they can.

Libraries serve many patrons who are low-income or experiencing homelessness. These community members are among the most vulnerable and often need the most help. For people without stable housing, libraries are sometimes one of the few places they can go to stay warm or simply have a space where they can rest and feel safe. Many libraries have done a lot to help those who are unhoused, not only by offering shelter but also by assisting them with a wide variety of resources and services.

Libraries offer many forms of assistance to help people without stable housing. Beyond protection from inclement weather and a safe space to sit and relax, they provide access to computers, wifi, and other important technological resources that might otherwise be out of reach. They also offer free bathrooms and spaces to socialize, making them a great place for anyone to hang out without the pressure of making a purchase.

More and more libraries are also partnering with social service agencies to have social workers at the library. On-site social workers provide people experiencing homelessness with the assistance they need to address issues such as housing or food insecurity in a trustworthy and welcoming setting. They can also help other patrons, such as those new to the area, in finding the right local resources.

All of these meaningful services help not only people facing homelessness but also the entire library community. By taking care of those in need, communities become stronger and more resilient. All the hard work that libraries do builds a better society for everyone.

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How You Can Give Back to Libraries

If you’re looking for service opportunities in your community this holiday season, your library can help you find a place to volunteer. Libraries are central to their communities, so they are aware of what local volunteer organizations need assistance with. Soup kitchens, food pantries, and animal shelters are some of the possible places you can volunteer. Of course, libraries themselves also welcome volunteers. With all they do for their communities, it’s important to give back when you can.

Libraries are especially great places for teens seeking community service opportunities. They offer meaningful volunteer opportunities for teens that can strengthen college applications and résumés. Volunteering at the library helps teens earn community service hours while forming new social bonds, learning valuable work skills, and engaging with diverse members of their community.

It’s not just teens who can volunteer, of course. Libraries are always looking for new volunteers in a variety of roles—there are plenty of ways to give back to your library. Some might seem simple, but they are all important in supporting the hard work your library does.

Your donations help support libraries across the country. 

Volunteering is a generous gift to your library, and you can help out through jobs ranging from checking out books to assisting with community events. You can also join your local Friends of the Library group, where you can help raise funds and host donation drives to supplement your library’s funding. If your library doesn’t have a Friends group already, you can start one.

Another important way to support your library is by attending board meetings. Libraries are there to serve their communities, but they need feedback from those communities to focus on what services and resources are truly important. If you have any comments or suggestions about your library, attending a board meeting can give you the opportunity to let them know what you think.

Possibly the easiest thing you can do to help out your library is to check out books regularly and use its services. Libraries depend on government funding, and the more their services and resources are used, the more funding they can secure in the future. It might seem like a no-brainer, but if you want to help your library, make sure you use it!

These are just a few ways you can give back to your library during this season of giving. Volunteer if you can, or donate to your local library or its Friends group. Another great way to help is to sign petitions supporting continued funding for libraries and all the important work they do. Even small acts of service can make a meaningful difference, so give back to your library today, in any way you can.

Visit www.everylibrary.org to learn more about our work on behalf of libraries. 

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