60 Before 60 Project: #1 - Visit the Library

To kick start my 60 before 60 Project, I thought I’d ease into it and begin with something pretty easy and likely something anyone could do.

Go to the library.

There are more than 125,000 libraries in the United States and an estimated 3,350 public libraries in Canada. With an estimated total population in North America of 371 million, some very simple math would say that works out to about 2,900 people per each library. And in the US, the average distance to a library for someone is just 2.1 miles away.

All this to say, chances are very high there is a library near you.

There was a new library built in our community just before the pandemic and I have never actually visited it. I’ve driven past it many times and thought about going to check it out but never actually did.

So I went into the library.

To my surprise, it was not just a bunch of books, references and the dewey decimal system. It's not even that quiet anymore. There was a game room with air hockey and foosball, single and group working pods, a quiet workspace, magazines (remember those) and many spaces to just to sit, relax and think. They had tablets you could borrow onsite and internet access available.

I spoke to the Librarian about the services they offered and was pleasantly surprised to find that they have numerous events you can attend.

For example, at this library alone they had speakers on different cultural topics, visiting authors, the opportunity to learn a new board game, movie screenings, sing-a-longs for kids – and that’s just a small example of what was happening over the next month.

The wonderful thing about libraries is that they provide access to resources for everyone.

Age, income, ethnicity or physical ability - it doesn’t matter. It’s one of the few places in each community where anyone can go and get access to resources, information and knowledge.

Libraries are promotors of literacy and the love of reading. They are also now becoming community hubs for events and people to join together.

So as I walk away from this experience, I have a renewed respect for the library. It’s not just a place of books, they are evolving into so much more.

And I need to check their calendar as there may be some ideas of some things I can add to my 60 Before 60 list!

My 60 Before 60 Lesson: Don't assume places remain the same way you remembered them. Everything evolves.

Check Out My Next 60 Before 60: I Go Off the Beaten Path

On her 59th birthday, Booming Encore's Founder - Susan Williams took a look back over the past couple of years and realized that her life needed a bit of a shake up. So she decided to do 60 different things before she turns 60 next year. She shares her progress and experiences for her 60 Before 60 Project.