In an article entitled “Free entertainment, for life,” CNN Contributor Bob Greene, a bestselling author whose books include “Late Edition: A Love Story” and “Chevrolet Summers, Dairy Queen Nights,” reminds there is good news for book lovers, even in the wake of the grim news facing the book publishing industry.

“There are so many wonderful books that have been written over the centuries, books that will thrill you and make you cry and change you and bring laughter to you and keep you up all night. Even if you did nothing else for the rest of your life but read, you would only be able to get to the most infinitesimal percentage of books that you would be destined to adore. They’re just waiting for you — waiting to be found, right now.

“And in most cases, even in these rugged and scary economic times, they’re free.”

Naturally Greene mentions libraries as places where these discoveries await.

He quotes American Library Association (ALA) President Molly Raphael, who told Greene about the “serendipity, the discovery inherent in finding books on a public library shelf. The act of walking alongside a shelf of books with their spines facing out toward you, and reaching for one and starting to look through it….”

Although he notes that public libraries are weathering difficult times, losing funds and cutting hours or even days, “the glory of the American public library system remains. Use of a library is complimentary for all who wish to come in. A library card is in almost all cases absolutely free. You can search for books yourself, or you can ask for, and receive, the expert help of a librarian.”

Photo by CNN

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Nominations are now open for the 2011 Carnegie Corporation of New York/New York Times I Love My Librarian Award.

The award invites library users nationwide to recognize the accomplishments of librarians in public, school, college, community college and university libraries for their efforts to improve the lives of people in their community.  Nominations are being accepted online at atyourlibrary.org/ilovemylibrarian through Sept. 12.  

Up to 10 librarians will be selected.  Each will receive a $5,000 cash award, a plaque and will be honored at an awards ceremony and reception in New York, hosted by The New York Times, in December.  

“Libraries are among those cherished institutions that are most representative of our open society,” said Vartan Gregorian, president of Carnegie Corporation of New York. “We must, therefore, acknowledge that libraries—and hence, librarians—are indispensable to the strength and vitality of our nation and our democracy.”

Over the past three years, 30 librarians from across the country have won the I Love My Librarian Award.  Last year, more than 2,000 library users nationwide nominated a librarian.  Previous winners were lauded for starting community gardens, helping students with severe disabilities read classic works of literature, for helping non-traditional students learn new technology to get better jobs and more.  For more information on previous winners, visit atyourlibrary.org/ilovemylibrarian.  Previous winners are also featured in a Digital Supplement to American Libraries magazine.

“Being nominated for the I Love My Librarian Award by people in my community was meaningful to me personally and professionally,” said 2010 I Love My Librarian winner Ellen Dolan, director of the Shrewsbury (Mass.) Public Library.  “My winning the award really is a testament to how deeply the community cares about its library as a vibrant, active, comfortable place to connect with others.”

Each nominee must be a librarian with a master’s degree from a program accredited by the ALA in library and information studies or a master’s degree with a specialty in school library media from an educational unit accredited by the National Council for the Accreditation of Teacher Education.  Nominees must be currently working in the United States in a public library, a library at an accredited two- or four-year college or university or at an accredited K-12 school.

The Carnegie Corporation of New York/New York Times I Love My Librarian Award is administered by the Campaign for America’s Libraries, ALA’s public awareness campaign that promotes the value of libraries and librarians. The Campaign is made possible by ALA’s Library Champions, corporations and foundations.

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On a recent episode of WTTW’s Chicago Tonight, the question was asked, “Are bookstores becoming an endangered species?”

The question was spurred by the recent decision to close nearly 400 Borders book stores across the country, as well as the growth in popularity of e-readers.

During the panel discussion that included American Library Association Executive Director Keith Michael Fiels, host Phil Ponce asked about the impact of e-books. Fiels told Ponce that libraries are rapidly adapting to e-books, with two-thirds of libraries already making e-books available to users – and the figure approaching 100 percent at college and university libraries.

There is, however, an atmosphere of uncertainty, he said.

“I think everybody is positioning themselves,” he said, adding, “Libraries would like to ensure that they can continue to purchase books and provide the same sort of services that they have with print books.”

Ponce also asked if bricks-and-mortar libraries would eventually become a thing of the past.

Fiels replied that, “People come to the library for a lot of different reasons. A library really functions as a community learning center.” He said libraries already circulate a lot of videos and audiobooks.  He added that the library as a physical place where people can go to browse and look at the cover of a book will remain an important factor.

When Ponce asked if the shift to e-books will continue, Fiels said we will continue to see the increased use of e-books. But he said he expects to see a “blended environment” of e-books and hardcover and paperback books.

Books themselves offer advantages over e-books, he pointed out.

“A paperback book has a lot of advantages that an e-book doesn’t have. You can take it to the beach. You can drop it. The battery never runs down.

“I think that the pleasure of owning a book, the pleasure of being able to browse a book are things that are not going to go away and are not going to change very quickly. I also think that as the e-readers get better and better, they are going to be virtually indistinguishable from books.”

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