Why libraries are still important

One of the things that I've always loved doing is visiting the library. I remember my mom bringing me to the library all the time when I was younger. I used to pick out Goosebumps books and other books that I probably wouldn't have if I hadn't browsed. I used to read about five or more books within the week (Goosebumps books are small), and then I would go back the next week. Libraries were always important to me, and I always made sure to get a new library card whenever I moved. One of my favorite feelings is going into a library and grabbing a few books and movies. I'm more likely to read a new author if they are at the library, which sometimes leads to sales for that author. Libraries are actually a really great tool for authors, they sometimes even have events where self published authors can promote their books. In the past I've donated my old books to libraries. I believe it's very important to support libraries, but I didn't really see the impact of people's donations until recently. About a year ago I was working at a place where I needed a card to sell beer (I was working in a retail store). I got kind of excited when my now ex-boyfriend dropped me off and I saw that there was a library on site. I told him that I'd wait for him in the library, but I was disappointed when I actually got to the library. It was the smallest one that I'd ever seen. I don't think it even had a computer area. There was a small table to sit at, a single rolling cart filled with about eight dvds, and about three large shelves filled with books that were meant either meant for children or erotic (there was no in-between). I had planned on looking through the shelves and finding something good to read, but I found myself more disappointed than anything. I ended up sitting at the small table for the rest of my wait. While I was grateful that the library had a lot of books for children, I was also disappointed that it was so small and didn't have a range of different books. It's so easy to overlook the importance of libraries with sites like amazon offering plenty of free books, but being in a place like that really showed me the importance of supporting your local libraries.