Public libraries are some of my favorite places to visit. I consider them a vital community asset. I’ve had a library card since elementary school and have always loved browsing the stacks looking for my next good read. Books have always been one of my most beloved pastimes, a place to escape and explore new worlds, different cultures and ways of life. A way to learn new things and explore different ways of thinking. Some of my fondest memories are of taking my children to the library each week so they could select and check out their own library books and develop a lifelong love of books and reading. The library staff are wonderful people, they remember names and faces and are welcoming and kind to just about everyone. I’ve seen librarians being kind and patient with drug addicts visiting the library in the cold winter months. Libraries are a valuable and irreplaceable resource for everyone. A community without a fully functioning public library is a sad place, indeed. I hope I never have to live there.