What do you Geek?
      Beginning Monday, residents of Statesboro and Bulloch County are invited to celebrate the importance of public libraries and learn more about library funding.
      It’s Geek the Library Week and around the nation.  Geek the Library Week is inspired by the public’s enthusiasm for the library, and at the same time don’t know how libraries are funded. The goal campaign’s goal is to celebrate the library as an essential community asset and shed light on the unique funding challenges going on locally.
      “We want everyone to take a moment and think about what the library means to them and the enormous value it brings to the entire community,” said library director Sharon Rowe.

  “Did you know that what the library brings to the table affects everything from the unemployment rate to literacy? Our value goes well beyond the library walls. But it is no surprise that we have had to make tough decisions based on our budget, and we are struggling to maintain the important resources and services that so many people count on.”
      Activities are planned all week long within the library.  Children and adults can register for a free t-shirt giveaway. Special displays in the library will show how the library is funded, and also emphasize how the library can transform lives.
      “We need to have a continuous library funding conversation in our communities and we want the public to realize that every individual plays a role in making sure their libraries have adequate funding,” said Rowe. “While Geek the Library Week is focused on fun, there is an underlying and serious message.  Public libraries across the country are at risk. Our services, our staff and hours are at risk. And every voice of support for the library counts.”
      Get updates about Geek the Library Week at www.strl.info  For more information about Geek the Library, please visit www.geekthelibrary.org