Librarian, Cybrarian - Still at the Heart.

Its' always lovely to get a pat on the back, a tip of the hat, a smidgen of recognition. With the publication of Marilyn Johnson's latest offering, This Book is Overdue, how Librarians and Cybrarians can Save us All!, we -- and all librarians -- received just that, big time.

Marilyn eloquently makes the case that librarians more vital and necessary than ever, as they fuse the tools of the digital age with love for the written word and the enduring values of truth, service to all, and free speech. This Book Is Overdue! is a romp through the ranks of information professionals who organize our messy world and offer old-fashioned human help through the maze.

Those who predicted the death of libraries forgot to consider that in the automated maze of contemporary life, none of us—neither the experts nor the hopelessly baffled—can get along without human help. And not just any help—we need librarians, who won't charge us by the question or roll their eyes, no matter what we ask. Who are they? What do they know? And how quickly can they save us from being buried by the digital age?

If anyone ever had doubts about the impact of the Lake of Bays libraries, they should take a look at our statistics. In 2009, Dwight Library had 2002 registered users, plus 951 seasonal only. 29,548 items were circulated. 1332 people attended library run programs, and 4256 people took advantage of the library computers.

In Baysville, there were 835 registered users, plus another 1214 seasonal users. 28960 items were circulated. 1656 people came to the library run programs, 5913 used the computers.

We don't have the numbers for the Dorset Library, but we know it is also a busy place!

These numbers stack up very well in a municipality with a permanent population of around 3000 people. But we don't need to tell you that -- libraries have long been the heart of communities, and we are proud that ours are vibrant and busy, and welcoming.

And we're delighted to get a little recognition from Marilyn Johnson along the way! If you'd like to read more, well, you can find the book at your local library, or through the computers at those same libraries. We'll be glad to help!