I Love The Library
by Chaya Tong

I love the library because it is a nice quiet place to read without being disturbed. When I go to the library, I like to check out books. I like the self checkout machines because the clock goes round and round. It makes a sound like a bump. I also like to do research. Right now, I am researching about Queen Elizabeth because I am making a book about her. Twice, I found pennies at the library. I guess the library is a lucky place!
One time, I had a tantrum and threw a book. It got torn and I had to tell the librarian. She said not to do that again, but she didn’t get mad at me. Afterwards, I felt much better. I will not do it again.

I like the summer reading club because at the end, you get a prize. I like how they give you a free book and you get a blowup toy. Last year, I got a caterpillar. I cut it and made a costume out of it.

My favorite place to get books is the fairytale box. When I first saw it, I was on a field trip. A teacher was looking there for a book with a girl. I picked out a book and it was very good. It was by Hans Christian Andersen. The teacher read it to me. She said she wished that she could check it out.
The library is a very nice place to be.

Why I Like the Library
Viola Zhao, 3rd Grade

I like libraries because they have a lot of good books like joke books, science books, Mystery books, cookbooks and animal books.  Some books are funny, some books are very mysterious and some even have magic tricks!

Books are really interesting.  My favorite books are the Boxcar Children because they are mysterious and really hard to find out so I just have to read more.  The library has a lot of Boxcar Children books.

Libraries are fun because we get to borrow books and bring them home to read.  Whenever I read a book, I couldn’t stop reading!

In the library, there are lots of books.  There are picture books, chapter books, fiction books, non-fiction books and paperback books.  No matter what book I read, it’s always fun.

I like to go to the library with my friends.  We can do our homework, because it’s always nice and quiet.  We could also read and draw.  We could make a graph of our favorite books.  Then we can read the book that our friend likes and see if the book is fun.  So, we can have more fun books to read.  Or, we can read our favorite book and trade.

All the librarians are nice there.  They help me find books and bring me to other interesting books.  I like Ms. Donna.  She reads books to us and comes to our classroom to tell us how important the library is and pass out books to everyone in the class to read.  She also lets us do crafts.  She lets us read poems, sing songs and clap to it.

That’s why I like the library soooo much.  I wish I could be a librarian when I grow up.

"What Does the New Lafayette Library and Learning Center Mean to Me?"

By Dana Zhu
Jones, 6th Grade
10/15/09

“What does the New Lafayette Library and Learning Center mean to me?”

Oh man, I’ve got to say, this new library means a lot to me. Seeing such a fabulous library being built right in Lafayette always gave me this happy feeling that vast fields of knowledge will come our way. By saying that, I mean that large amounts of educational books will be right at the library, available to anyone. It seems like a paradise to me, since you could learn so much there. But three specific reasons why it means so much to me is that the new library will be able to provide more books, activities, space, subjects, rooms, and more! Another reason is that since so much knowledge is provided at the new library, I will be able to learn as much as I want, as much as I can, with all that it takes, to build a firmer mind with a brighter future. The last and final reason is that I’m hoping for peace and quiet at the library so I could leave all my stress behind, while studying, resting, and enjoying myself at a building with endless shelves of books. Libraries are so rich in knowledge; I’m surprised the roof doesn’t come off with facts streaming out of it.

Have you ever been at a point where you can’t find any of the information you want anywhere? Well, I admit the library should be the first place you should look, after all, there are so many resources, and such good technologies, it would usually only take a few minutes to find what you were looking for. But since the new library is bigger than the old, the resource list would grow rapidly because of the size of the building. That then lets us have an even wider field of knowledge and information. It’s so exciting when I come across a new fact that I’ve never heard of. It just tells me I have a long way to go before I could call myself a genius.

Have you ever wanted to know how deep is the deepest part of the Pacific Ocean, of how tall is the world’s tallest giraffe? Well, at the library, the answer’s always available, man. You see, I could search up on history, non-fiction, fiction, fairytales, mystery, fantasy, archaeology, manufacture, and so much more without any trouble!    I sometimes wonder if all this information is true and real. There is so much of it, and how could they get them all? But I know it’s possible. Take the British Library for an example. All the books you could ever imagine, more than 100,000 books, no matter how old or new, right there, in that huge building! It just takes my breath away to think about all that knowledge filling the entire building. It’s so big and it’s so quiet, I’m just awed that it is one of the largest libraries in the world. I’m hoping the new Lafayette Library and Learning Center would be just as good as the British Library.

Have you just wanted to get out of a noisy building, march to a quiet spot, and just do whatever you want? Well, since the new library is bigger than the old one, it might be a lot harder to soften the chattering in the building. But a good advantage to the size is that everyone has room, and there wouldn’t be any pushing or shoving. I’ve seen the blueprint of the building before, because I’ve worked in the Book Bonanza of Burton Valley Elementary. The building has a beautiful environment, and is so spread out. It looked so peaceful and breathtaking, and it was so easy to imagine yourself there. This lovely environment would easily calm down and relax your nerves. I’m sure it would be as beautiful inside as it is outside. I’m so glad we’re going to have a place like this in Lafayette. A second paradise apart from school.

The New Lafayette Library and Learning Center is a place where we could connect our minds with geniuses, learn the basic knowledge, make new friends, and be a good community member to everyone. We could learn to enjoy that new environment around us by respecting the information, supplies, furniture, practically everything the library provides for us to use there. There, we could concentrate on more things, learn more, and become smarter for a better future. And at last, we could help keep everyone quiet so the library could be a peaceful place for everyone. To me, this is a huge step to become a closer community.

Tyler Supple
Acalanes High School

Libraries: The Education of the Community

Books have represented knowledge for hundreds of years. They trace back to the years of the Chinese dynasties and the times of the Greeks. Books have led to great discoveries in science and have helped in passing history through generations. The central place where numerous books have been held is in libraries. During the early years of American, a lot of great people, such as Ben Franklin, had their own libraries. Franklin, being a generous man, decided to share his own books with the community so that people with lower incomes could have access to them. His library was one of the first public libraries in the United States and the idea of sharing books and knowledge grew from there.  Now, many years later, most communities have a public library. Libraries are considered an important piece of a city’s infrastructure. Libraries are valuable to society as they allow people living the community to be educated and inspired through the books they house and the knowledge they hold.

Libraries are important to communities because they provide a place for people to be able to read books, get internet access, and gain knowledge about any topic. A library can be a tool that is used by students to get ahead in school or a place for citizens to learn more about their town’s history or other subjects. The importance of a library can be different for every person. For example, some people can use it as a spot to read books for enjoyment or take a nap, while others can use it for looking up facts on the internet or as a place to attend a lecture. Some find solitude in the silence of the atmosphere while others use it as a gathering spot to meet friends. There are so many different ways to use a library which is why they are an important part of life for everyone in any society.

More than just a building, a library is a major part of any community. Libraries are places that continually grow and change to meet a community’s needs. Today’s libraries house many computers and a lot of its information is stored digitally. When the first libraries were built there were no computers or digital technology, so the buildings needed many more bookshelves. At most libraries today you will see computers that are used to search for books found in the library and you will also find computers that allow use of the Internet as well. Nowadays there are even coffee houses attached to libraries for people to enjoy this convenience. In addition, you will find youth programs, story hours and discussion groups for adults where years ago none of these types of programs existed. These programs are all intellectually stimulating activities which help to keep citizens both involved and informed. Libraries are a valuable asset to our society, as they allow for the education of people of all ages in a variety of different ways.

To me, a library is like a valuable treasure chest that is open to the community it serves. It holds information and experiences that are beneficial to everyone, regardless of age and income. It has countless resources available to all who want access. It is a wonderful place for people to gather to learn and to share knowledge. It is a wonderful place that should be treasured