TODAY, LIBRARIES around the country begin the annual celebration of National Library Week.
"Read, Learn, Connect @ the Library," the theme for the week, describes the contemporary public library, a place filled with books for enjoyment and research, programs for all ages, and free access to a vast array of electronic resources.
Libraries continue to provide opportunities for lifelong learning and connect people with ideas, information, and each other. The services and legacy of the Pratt library exemplify how libraries can support literate, productive and informed communities.
In 1882, Enoch Pratt, a wealthy Baltimore merchant, asked a prominent citizen what he considered the greatest need of the city. When the gentleman hesitated, Pratt answered his own question: "I'll tell you -- a free circulating public library, open to all citizens regardless of property or color."
Pratt acted on this need, building a central library and branches in four quarters of the city, the first urban library system in the country. Although the Enoch Pratt Free Library has grown and evolved over the years the commitment to Pratt's vision remains. The Pratt library is still a resource for all city residents, the place where toddlers discover the world of books at preschool story hours, where students find homework help after school, where adults meet to discuss books or poetry, or job seekers can learn how to write resumes.
Public libraries have traditionally been the "people's university," providing resources for free lifelong learning. Today, in the digital age, our mission is the same, with more tools, in different formats, to meet the public demands for accurate and timely information on a variety of subjects. One of the most important new services that public libraries provide is a connection to the world via online resources.
Recent studies and surveys emphasize the critical role public libraries play in making information technology accessible to all. The Pratt library is helping to bridge the "digital divide" in Baltimore by providing universal access to the Internet and free computer classes at training centers around the city.
