Thing Two

Thing Four – Get to Know Your Public Library

I felt like something of a hypocrite asking the students to become acquainted with the public library when I didn’t even have a card myself. So, I went to both the Minneapolis and St. Paul libraries and signed up at each. Incidentally, the Central Library in downtown Minneapolis is absolutely breathtaking. You should all go if you haven’t yet.
I ended up checking out several books from the library. They were mostly plays I am considering directing at school in the future. It was great to have all of these plays at my fingertips compared to Barnes and Noble (what has basically become my library since there is coffee as well as comfortable chairs there – though, to be fair, the Central Library has both of these amenities as well).
I have found that my students fall into one of two categories: One. The have no idea what a library could be used for, are scared of it and feel like getting a library card must be the equivalent of climbing Everest using toothpicks. Two. Use it all the time and are savvy at all of the options that libraries give one. I ended up offering extra-credit to any student who could show me a library card, and I would say about 15 of my 120 students brought them in.