Something for which we can all be thankful
By Jimmie Epling, Director, Darlington County Library System
Tomorrow is Thanksgiving Day, a day first set aside in 1789 by President George Washington for “public thanksgiving and prayer” devoted to “the service of that great and glorious Being who is the beneficent author of all the good that was, that is, and that will be.” Those familiar with the history of Thanksgiving Day know it was not officially designated a national holiday until 1863 by President Abraham Lincoln, at the height of the Civil War, for the same reason President Washington declared a thanksgiving holiday decades earlier. If both Presidents could look upon “what is” today our country, they would no doubt declare the thousands of public libraries scattered across the nation, like the Darlington County Library System, one of the many reasons to be thankful this holiday.
Presidents Washington and Lincoln would marvel at how public libraries have evolved in the nation one helped forge and the other helped hold together in the face of civil war. Public libraries are an institution truly open to all without regard to age, race, creed, gender, ideology, or socioeconomic situation. Individuals are free to use as little or as much of a public library’s resources as desired without question or scrutiny. And quite possibly the best reason for the residents of the United States to be thankful this holiday about public ibraries is they provide their basic services without charge.
So what specifically makes the Darlington County Libary something to be thankful for this year?
The Library is a reflection of our country’s democratic values for which both presidents and millions of others have fought. It strives to be a source of unbiased, unfettered, and uncensored information available to all just for the asking. In a year marked by a very unconventional presidential election, the Library freely made available information about the issues and candidates. Citizens could learn how to become advocates for themselves and their communities through the resources available at the Library. We have even served as voter registration sites. The Library annually highlights the perils of censorship through displays during Banned Books Week.
The wealth of knowledge and entertainment available through our Library would likely stun Washington and Lincoln by its sheer scope and variety. The idea that beyond the hundreds of thousands of items, in print and electronic formats, at our library is a wealth of knowledge available 24/7 through online databases is something they could not have forseen in their time. What would make them most proud of the Library is that we are about serving the community. The Library is a place where people come together and find one another. Parents and children connect with each other at story times, the summer reading program, and seeing little chicks hatch. Adults come together at all four of our locations, Darlington, Hartsville, Lamar, and Society Hill to learn and along the way make new friends. The Library brings people together through programs on writing, needlework, computers, sign language, crafts, coloring, book discussion, and dozens of other activities. Teens take advantage of the Library’s after school programs, special spaces, and field trips to learn and meet friends. The Library brings people of all walks of life together all the time through community building activities.
As men who knew the value of an education, Washington and Lincoln would appreciate the concept of the Library being a “people’s university.” Success begins with getting an education, yet with each passing year it becomes more expensive and complex. The Library provides information and educational opportunities at no charge to all the residents of the County regardless of their socioeconomic status. In the past, we sponsored or co-sponsored writing, genealogy, computer, sign language, GED, and other classes. Residents now have access to online continuing education courses 24/7 through our website at www.darlington-lib.org, such as the Universal Class and Learning Express.
The right to assemble is a fundamental right, yet sometimes it is difficult to find a place to meet. The Library serves as the only public meeting site and community centers in their community. In all four major communities in the county, the Library offers meeting rooms for public use at no charge. The meeting rooms have been used by businesses to train new employees, by FEMA to assistance those impacted by Hurricane Matthew, by county and city government for meetings, and by various social agencies to discuss how we address issues impacting us all.
Sometime tomorrow, after the parade, the game, the dinner, or that quiet moment just before bedtime, take a moment to reflect on “all that was, all that is, and all that will be.” If Presidents Washington and Lincoln were with us tomorrow, they would say public libraries, such as Darlington County’s, are something our nation has brought forth for which we can all be thankful.