Since April 18 to 25 is National Library Week, consider for a moment that maybe your library card is the most valuable card you carry. We’ll get into some of the reasons why in a moment, but first, everything you’ve just been reading is really an introduction to something quite different.

What you’re about to read is actually two stories in one. The first story is what you were expecting from the introduction. It’s about celebrating our nation’s libraries.

The second is connected to the first story, but it’s about something that’s going on among the 64,000 members of the American Library Association (ALA). Interestingly, there’s a role in this for you.

A role for you? Yes, because—ZAP!—you’ve just been recruited to be a member of a focus group! If you have an opinion on what you’re about to read, please share it by sending it to the address you’ll read at the end of this column?.

The ALA’s leadership knows that having a recognized brand helps make people aware of a product. The more people are aware of a product, the more likely they are to buy or use it.

Knowing the importance of branding, members of the ALA came up with a brand which is clever, modern, and high-tech. It’s “@your library®”, pronounced “at your library.” ?

The @ symbol carries with it echoes of the Internet, the world wide web, and information riches. Brilliant and evocative as this phrase is, however, it’s not complete. This is where you, as a focus group member, come in.

Should the complete slogan be, “The smartest card in your wallet is @YourLibrary®”? Or, “It’s about You@YourLibrary(r)”? Or “The most valuable card in your wallet is @YourLibrary®”?

Or do you have a completely different idea for the completed slogan?

Whatever the slogan, the fact remains that libraries are wonderful places. Here’s what some of our local librarians are saying about them:

Alice Bar from SU’s Blackwell Library says: “In an era in which everything has its price, libraries provide, free of charge, what we most need in the Information Age: information. Libraries offer the best thinking of the past, practical answers to everyday questions, and what we all need: inspiration for a better future.”

Karen Neville, Acting Director, Worcester County Public Library says: “Individuals of all ages and interests can sharpen their skills, discover their next favorite author or view online reference databases for free when they possess a library card.”

Jody Mathias, Salisbury Christian School’s Librarian has several library cards in her wallet: “The public library, the school library, and the college library each provide a glimpse of this world and beyond, yet from different perspectives. Just like people, libraries have “personalities.” Just as people, I approach those who could most effectively help me with a task or a problem. So it is with libraries!”

Tom Hehman, Director, Wicomico County Free Public Library says: “Libraries build community, help anchor the local economy, help children get ready to read and succeed from birth onward and support lifelong learning, in and out of school.”

Our local librarians are right: Libraries are a treasure trove of helpful information. As we celebrate National Library Week, what slogan should the libraries use to help increase everyone’s awareness of them? Send your answer to: kreif@somd.lib.md.us.