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Joy

Young librarian shares heartwarming tale of three kids, three grown-ups and a Spanish book

"I'm now confident that library kids are gonna save the world," says librarian Mychal Threets.

Mychal Threets/Instagram

Mychal Threets shares heartwarming library stories on Instagram.

We've said it before and we'll say it again—public libraries are the greatest idea humanity has ever come up with.

Seriously, a quiet place to read or study, access to tons of books you can take home and knowledgeable experts on hand to help you find whatever you need—all for free? What kind of unimaginable utopia is this? How are we not marveling all day long about the awesomeness that is the public library?

Librarians get it, and one young librarian is highlighting that awesomeness by sharing the heartwarming stories he witnesses at the library on social media. Mychel Threets, a supervising librarian at Solano County Library in Nothern California, recently shared a story on Instagram of how a young kid wanted their dad to read a book they'd chosen, but the book was in Spanish and the dad didn't know how to read it.

From there, the story turns hilariously sweet as a kid who says they think they know Spanish (even though they actually don't know a word) offers to help. And it just gets better and better from there.

Watch and enjoy this wholesome chain of encounters:

See on Instagram

Understandably, people are loving this example of libraries bringing people together.

"In tears; I am an immigrant and libraries and public schools were my gateway to America," wrote one Instagram commenter.

"It takes a village! and why did my eyes just leak a wee bit of happiness 🥲," wrote another.

“'He doesn’t know Spanish. He just really likes people.' Same, buddy, same, ❤️ " shared another. "Love this story. It would make a great children’s book!"

Another person added, "I love these stories of real people excited about reading and helping each other. Thank you so much for sharing. Libraries hold a special, vital place in our communities. ❤️"

Even Jennifer Garner chimed in with a simple, enthusiastic "YES."

Libraries are truly magical places filled with wonderful stories—both within the pages of books and in the real-life interactions that happen there.

Follow Mychal Threets on Instagram for more wholesome, heartwarming library stories.

From Your Site Articles

libraries

Archivists from around the world share their most unique finds—and some are super weird

Tiny books, presidential chairs, iconic dresses and more.

Canva

The world is full of so many cool things.

This article originally appeared on 10.05.17

Ever wondered what goes on in a library's dark corners, where you aren't allowed to go?

Wonder no more, thanks to The Society of American Archivists' Ask an Archivist Day.

On Oct. 4, 2017, university, corporate, and museum archivists around the world dug out the coolest, rarest, and weirdest items in their collections, photographed them, and put the results on Twitter.

They didn't disappoint. Here's just some of what they had in storage.

1. Small items. Very small items. Like a Bible so tiny that it has a magnifying glass with it for reading.

\u201c@HornbakeLibrary We have this New Testament from 1895 with its case and magnifying glass in our collection. #AskAnArchivist\u201d
— UMD SpecColl (@UMD SpecColl) 1507129340

2. And a barely-bigger-than-a-quarter book about birds, published during the deadliest year of the Civil War.

\u201cQ: What's one of the smallest items in our collection? A: This tiny book, "Bird Stories," published in 1863! #AskAnArchivist #umdarchives\u201d
— UMD SpecColl (@UMD SpecColl) 1507129340

3. Or this one of three women in West Virginia, rocking the slickest hats of 1908.

\u201c@AlabamaArchives We're partial to hats. West Virginia History OnView | WVU Libraries https://t.co/VSMTWTQEpU #AskAnArchivist #WVRHC #ArchivesFashion\u201d
— Alabama Department of Archives and History (@Alabama Department of Archives and History) 1507135579

4. A folding chair used by Barack Obama.

\u201cNewest acquisition? That would be this folding chair that @BarackObama sat in during his #Rutgers250 commencement address. #AskAnArchivist\u201d
— Rutgers Special Collections & University Archives (@Rutgers Special Collections & University Archives) 1507132827

5. Dirt from the grave of a well-known American writer.

\u201cQ:What's a spooky item in your collections? A:Here's a pine coffin owned by Katherine Anne porter & dirt from her grave site #AskAnArchivist\u201d
— UMD SpecColl (@UMD SpecColl) 1507149032

6. A Roman-era coin, depicting either a man in a helmet or a curious understanding of human anatomy.

\u201cWhat is our oldest item? A Didrachm coin minted between 280 B.C.E.-276 B.C.E.\n\n#AskAnArchivist #RomanCoins\u201d
— Rutgers Special Collections & University Archives (@Rutgers Special Collections & University Archives) 1507129302

7. A photo of a sailor whose ship vanished in the Bermuda Triangle in 1918.

\u201cHamilton Beggs is also part of the Gold Star Files. He was on the USS Cyclops when it disappeared in the Bermuda Triangle. #askanarchivist\u201d
— Alabama Department of Archives and History (@Alabama Department of Archives and History) 1507136852

8. And one of of other World War I sailors giddily posing on top of two ginormous battleship guns.

\u201cHow many photographs are there in the archive and how can we find these? https://t.co/udBOw9b36d #AskAnArchivistWW1 #AskAnArchivist #WW1\u201d
— Today's Document (@Today's Document) 1507139116

9. A child's sketch of a groundbreaking concept car — complete with a built-in kitchen and a 300 mph top speed.

\u201cThis child's car drawing sent t @ford from the 1960s has a stove, icebox, seat belts, and can go 300mph! #askanarchivist THF268169\u201d
— The Henry Ford (@The Henry Ford) 1507137015

10. A legal document drawn up in 14th century France.

\u201cQ: What's the oldest item in our collection? A: This French legal document dated 1334. Check out that wax seal! #AskAnArchivist #umdarchives\u201d
— UMD SpecColl (@UMD SpecColl) 1507143664

11. A pioneering, ultra-glittery work of feminist art.

\u201cWhat is the most glittery object in our collection? That would be this untitled drawing by Miriam Schapiro. \n\n#AskAnArchivist\u201d
— Rutgers Special Collections & University Archives (@Rutgers Special Collections & University Archives) 1507122040

12. A photo of fashion designer Ann Lowe, the woman who designed Jackie Kennedy's wedding dress.

\u201c#ArchivesFashion #AskAnArchivist Did you know that Alabama native Ann Lowe designed Jackie Kennedy's wedding dress?\u201d
— Alabama Department of Archives and History (@Alabama Department of Archives and History) 1507137183

13. A script for a rarely heard "Empire Strikes Back" radio play.

\u201c@KBtheLib @nprchives Our #StarWars radio dramatization is an institutional favorite! #AskAnArchivist\u201d
— NPR RAD (@NPR RAD) 1507064825

14. An image of rows and rows of classic radiator shells waiting to be installed at a Depression-era Pontiac plant.

\u201cQ: What are these?\nA: Pontiac radiator shells, circa 1937.\nQ: Where is this photo?\nA: @HBSBaker \n#AskAnArchivist \nhttps://t.co/UuOV1KJeH6\u201d
— Working Knowledge (@Working Knowledge) 1507135835

15. A handwritten letter from Sigmund Freud.

\u201cCool KSHS collection: Menninger Foundation archives include Sigmund Freud letters. https://t.co/SgKrkCXYZh #AskAnArchivist\u201d
— Kansas History (@Kansas History) 1507135195

16. Ancient technology.

\u201cQ: Do you have floppy discs in the archives? A: Yes! Our e-records archivist helps preserve data on lots of outdated formats #AskAnArchivist\u201d
— UMD SpecColl (@UMD SpecColl) 1507136506

17. Proof that Queen Elizabeth II is apparently a secret football fan.

\u201cYou voted & the results are in! Who's #UMD's most famous visitor? Queen Elizabeth II - shown here at a football game in 1957 #AskAnArchivist\u201d
— UMD SpecColl (@UMD SpecColl) 1507125652

18. A memo warning campus police about an upcoming Ozzy Osborne concert, citing the singer's involvement with "abuse of animals" and "alleged satanic groups."

\u201cQ:What's the coolest thing you found in the archives lately? A:How about a 1983 police memo when Ozzy Osborne played at UMD! #AskAnArchivist\u201d
— UMD SpecColl (@UMD SpecColl) 1507123820

19. And why, if you want to see more, you'll have to visit a library or archive in person.

\u201c#AskAnArchivist When people ask "so is everything digitized?" I usually reply with a photo of our caverns, which I hope answers the question\u201d
— UMN Libraries (@UMN Libraries) 1507128190

You can happily scroll through dozens more like this using the #AskAnArchivist hashtag.

\u201cQ: Describe the role of an archivist in haiku form: \nArchivists connect\nus between the record of\nthe past and present \n#AskAnArchivist\u201d
— M+ (@M+) 1507101297

No appointment necessary.

This article originally appeared on 10.05.17

Update 10/9/2017: The headline was changed to reflect that archivists and librarians differ, in part by the type of materials handled.

joy

AmazonSmile

Replace libraries with Amazon? Not if these librarians have anything to say about it.

In case you didn't know, libraries are cool as heck.

They've been around for — well — ever (or at least thousands of years), there are more than 17,000 of them in the U.S., and they serve a myriad of purposes beyond just access to an unlimited number of free books (which, let's be honest, is pretty great in itself). Nearly all libraries offer access to computers and Wi-Fi, and many serve double as venues for community events. Best yet, libraries can help people develop the tools they need to combat the spread of false stories on the internet and identify reputable sources of information.

Don't worry! No books were harmed in the making of this photo. Photo by Thomas Lohnes/Getty Images.

With all those awesome things about libraries, it's kind of mind-boggling that someone call for them to be replaced by Amazon.

Economics professor Panos Mourdoukoutas published a (since deleted) blog at Forbes on July 21 arguing for shutting down local libraries in favor of brick and mortar Amazon stores "in all communities." His argument centers around the idea that "third places" like Starbucks and affordable content-streaming options like Netflix and Amazon Prime have all but made libraries irrelevant.

He wrote:

"Amazon Books is a chain of bookstores that does what Amazon originally intended to do; replace the local bookstore. It improves on the bookstore model by adding online searches and coffee shops. Amazon Go basically combines a library with a Starbucks.

At the core, Amazon has provided something better than a local library without the tax fees. This is why Amazon should replace local libraries. The move would save taxpayers money and enhance the stockholder value of Amazon all in one fell swoop."

According to the American Library Association, Americans check out an average of eight books a year, which costs them an average of $36.96 in total taxes. As far as plans to "save taxpayers lots of money" go, this is a pretty huge dud.

Naturally, librarians weren't exactly thrilled about the idea.

Not to get too snarky here, but if you're planning to write an opinion article about why a private company should replace a public good, a librarian would be the perfect person to help with your research.

— (@)

Many (correctly) said that the article's premise seemed to ignore the fact that there are millions of low-income individuals who rely on libraries. Replacing them with Amazon stores would take away their ability to apply for jobs, learn new skills, or just be able to read bedtime stories to their kids.

— (@)

And not everyone has the cash to dish out for a Netflix account, either. A year of Netflix costs more than the average taxes that go to local libraries.

— (@)

Plus, there's a community element that just can't be replaced by a for-profit company like Amazon. When the end goal is to make money versus to provide a service, events that don't help increase profits get cut.

— (@)

The idea that physical books are some kind of relic of the past is simply false.

— (@)

Some suggested that maybe, just maybe, the author hadn't actually visited a library in recent years.

— (@)

And others reiterated this idea wouldn't actually save people who need libraries any money.

— (@)

If there's a lesson to be learned here, it's that replacing public services with private ventures is a bad idea. That and don't piss off librarians.

Libraries are a lifeline to people of all income levels. Replacing it with something that would cater solely to middle and upper class families in order to save $40 a year won't exactly elicit a standing ovation from most people.

According to these tweeting librarians, it sure sounds like Mourdoukoutas didn't do his research. If only there were a place where he could go to read up on subjects he doesn't quite grasp...

OK, so this is a runway model during some sort of library-themed fashion show in 2015. Photo by Tristan Fewings/Getty Images.

Friendship

A stranger found a lost library book and returned it with this heartwarming note.

Image created from Pixabay.

Nobody enjoys having an overdue library book.

Employees at Idaho's Meridian Library were going through the mail after the Thanksgiving holiday 2017 when they got a sweet surprise.

Inside one of the packages was a book — Thomas Rockwell's "How to Eat Fried Worms" — that had been missing from the stacks.

Getting books in the mail is no major shock at Meridian. The library finds that visitors passing through or patrons going on vacation will often mail back items to avoid fines.

Along with this particular book, however, there was a curious handwritten note.

"I found this book on an airplane last month," the message began.

"I called your library to notify them. I failed to return on time (and) apologize. Please add this $5.00 to the person's account that borrowed the book as a credit. Thank you."

Sure enough, along with the note was a $5 bill.

Found in the mail with a $5 bill this morning. There are some amazing people in our community. #mymld
Posted by Meridian Library District on Monday, November 27, 2017

The good Samaritan had been hoping to get the book back to the library before the due date but couldn't and decided to assume responsibility for the late fee.

Obviously, they were under no obligation to pay the fine, and their small, understated generosity floored the library staff.

Knowing you have a book overdue at the library and not being able to find it is one of those little stresses that can add up big time.

It's like having a sink full of dirty dishes or being behind on laundry. It's not a source of massive worry, but many unresolved things added together can make you feel anxious and overwhelmed — too much of which is certainly bad for your health.

So while a stranger returning a book and paying $5 in fines may seem inconsequential, the act is inspiring thousands of people who have read about the story online.

"Everyone is loving this heartwarming story," says Macey Snelson, who heads communications and marketing for the library. "I think that this is resonating with people so much because we live in a world where the news cycles are filled with contention and negative stories, and it's refreshing to see a story that shows that people are inherently good."

This story proves that even a teeny, tiny act of kindness, in a small part of the country, can have a big impact.

From Your Site Articles

community

librarians

Young librarian shares heartwarming tale of three kids, three grown-ups and a Spanish book

"I'm now confident that library kids are gonna save the world," says librarian Mychal Threets.

Archivists from around the world share their most unique finds—and some are super weird

Tiny books, presidential chairs, iconic dresses and more.

Ever wondered what goes on in a library's dark corners, where you aren't allowed to go?

1. Small items. Very small items. Like a Bible so tiny that it has a magnifying glass with it for reading.

2. And a barely-bigger-than-a-quarter book about birds, published during the deadliest year of the Civil War.

3. Or this one of three women in West Virginia, rocking the slickest hats of 1908.

4. A folding chair used by Barack Obama.

5. Dirt from the grave of a well-known American writer.

6. A Roman-era coin, depicting either a man in a helmet or a curious understanding of human anatomy.

7. A photo of a sailor whose ship vanished in the Bermuda Triangle in 1918.

8. And one of of other World War I sailors giddily posing on top of two ginormous battleship guns.

9. A child's sketch of a groundbreaking concept car — complete with a built-in kitchen and a 300 mph top speed.

10. A legal document drawn up in 14th century France.

11. A pioneering, ultra-glittery work of feminist art.

12. A photo of fashion designer Ann Lowe, the woman who designed Jackie Kennedy's wedding dress.

13. A script for a rarely heard "Empire Strikes Back" radio play.

14. An image of rows and rows of classic radiator shells waiting to be installed at a Depression-era Pontiac plant.

15. A handwritten letter from Sigmund Freud.

16. Ancient technology.

17. Proof that Queen Elizabeth II is apparently a secret football fan.

18. A memo warning campus police about an upcoming Ozzy Osborne concert, citing the singer's involvement with "abuse of animals" and "alleged satanic groups."

19. And why, if you want to see more, you'll have to visit a library or archive in person.

Replace libraries with Amazon? Not if these librarians have anything to say about it.

In case you didn't know, libraries are cool as heck.

With all those awesome things about libraries, it's kind of mind-boggling that someone call for them to be replaced by Amazon.

Naturally, librarians weren't exactly thrilled about the idea.

If there's a lesson to be learned here, it's that replacing public services with private ventures is a bad idea. That and don't piss off librarians.

A stranger found a lost library book and returned it with this heartwarming note.

"I found this book on an airplane last month," the message began.

Knowing you have a book overdue at the library and not being able to find it is one of those little stresses that can add up big time.

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