30 reasons why we're grateful for libraries

A few things I’m grateful for: family and friends, good health, coffee (and wine), my cats, and my local library. And I’m not the only one thankful for these valuable community spaces. We asked readers on social to tell us why they’re thankful for their public libraries and the responses poured in.

So as we gather around Thanksgiving tables, let’s celebrate our local institutions that give back every single day and champion our freedom to read, educate our children, help us save money, and welcome us every time we walk through the doors. From all of us at Libby Life—and Libby users everywhere—a heartfelt THANK YOU to libraries and the library workers who make them extraordinary.

1. Books

“Grateful for the opportunity to get my hands on each and every book that even just mildly interests me whether I skim through it or hang on every word.”

2. More books

3. Did we mention... books?

4. Audiobooks

“All the audiobooks I can get through because my library’s selection is ALWAYS 🔥🔥🔥🙌🏻”

5. Being able to put items on hold

“So grateful for the holds system - amazing!”

6. Books on Kindle

7. Feeling of belonging

“Grateful to feel like I belong no matter if I'm at the fancy branch or the more humble branch.”

8. A break from the news

“Libby and DC Public Library give me much needed breaks from the news. I’m so grateful for diverse stories and ease of use.”

9. Printers

10. Book clubs

“Thankful for all the books I get to read! And book club 😃”

11. Children’s books

12. A fulfilling career

“I’m thankful that libraries gave me a wonderful, fulfilling career for nearly 35 years.”

13. Supporting our reading habits (and wallets)

“The library and the Libby app support my reading obsession. Without them, I’d be buried in books and debt.”

14. Gathering space and access to information

15. Patient and kind librarians

“The librarians I've interacted with have always been patient & kind.”

16. Amazing library workers

“Grateful for the amazing workers at our library.”

17. Access to so many libraries / branches

18. The staff is open to suggestions

“I appreciate that the library is open to purchasing books that we want!”

19. Accessibility

“I am grateful for the massive amount of media availability, the accessibility, and my amazing local librarians!!!”

20. Educational support for families

21. DVDs & CDs

“All the books, DVDs, and CDs I want to read, watch, and listen to but can't afford and don't have a big enough house to store them all!”

22. Banned books

“I'm grateful for them continuing to have banned books available to the public.”

23. All the money we’ve saved

24. Convenience

“I’m thankful that I can download a new book from Libby while the library is closed, from the comfort of my couch!”

25. Reading tracker

“I love how the app keeps track of what I've read, especially when I'm reading a series of books with 20+ titles in the series.”

26. Rekindle a love of reading

“It helped me rekindle my love of reading for myself a few years ago after years of reading only for my children.”

27. Library services

“I’m grateful for all the services my library provides!”

28. Book selection

“Books I can't find elsewhere!”

29. The people / co-workers

30. Honestly.... for everything!

“The space, the librarians, the open databases for research, the community puzzles… oh, and the books!!!”

What’s your reason to be thankful for libraries? Share it with us on social @libby.app!

RELATED READ: A thank you note to librarians everywhere