July 2014: From the Director's Chair

Freedom...

As we celebrate Independence Day on July 4th, it is often easier to mark the day with parades, family, food, and fireworks than to reflect on our national freedoms and what they mean to our lives both personally and as a nation.

I encourage you to be contemplative this July and consider the many freedoms listed in the United States Constitution. They are:

1) Freedom of speech
2) Freedom of the press
3) Freedom of assembly
4) Freedom of religion

Franklin Delano Roosevelt also spoke of the freedoms found in this country in his inaugural speech. He phrased them like this:

1) Freedom of speech and expression
2) Freedom of every person to worship God in his own way
3) Freedom from want
4) Freedom from fear

At the Martinsburg-Berkeley County Public Libraries, we believe that you can "find freedom at the library." Historically, libraries have always emphasized the freedom to read, the freedom to access information, and the freedom to pursue knowledge. A public library's function is to provide a variety of points of view on a multitude of topics to help enable the reader to determine his/her own perspectives and opinions.

But there is another freedom–the freedom to learn–which is often forgotten in our culture. Learning does not equal formal education. In fact, when your formal education is finished, you have the freedom to continue to learn, explore new interests, and make yourself a more well-rounded person. And that's where libraries come in to play! Regardless of what you are curious about or interested in, your reading level, or how much time you have to devote to learning, your library has materials available to you that will help you pursue almost any interest.

Kirk Douglas once said, "My mother and father were illiterate immigrants from Russia. When I was a child they were constantly amazed that I could go to a building and [borrow] a book on any subject. They couldn't believe this access to knowledge we have here in America."

The Martinsburg-Berkeley County Public Libraries have over 187,300 items that are freely available for your use. Our goal is to encourage and support you as you pursue the freedom to learn, no matter who you are!