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Health & Fitness

505 North - Librarians Are Good For You!

Barrington Area librarians are know-it-alls in the best possible sense. Librarians are friendly guides that can help you navigate through an overwhelming, sometimes intimidating world of information.

If you're still stuck in the mindset that librarians are mousy types who shush people and care only about unabridged dictionaries, you need to get to BAL - pronto. Our librarians are a) friendly, b) tech-savvy AND fond of books,  and c) all too happy to share a wealth of knowledge with you.

Take Liz Hubert, for example. (That's Liz in the photo - see? Friendly!) She can provide a quick demo of several different types of e-reading devices, recommend a cool new novel, help you digitize your historical photos, answer questions about Facebook and other social technology - oh, yes, and answer your standard reference questions. I'd call her a know-it-all except she's so darn nice about it.

Did you know that some studies suggest that people suffer from "information pollution" and  "library anxiety?" Yikes. Those prone to feeling intimidated or uncomfortable in public libraries ought to make a habit of hanging out here at the Barrington Area Library.  Stop in and just walk around for awhile. There's a warm, informal vibe in the building, like a very comfortable home. Books, magazines and movies are often displayed on open shelves, where you can easily browse to your heart's content. The Gallery in the Library brings exciting new art exhibits every month. You can fix yourself a cup of coffee and relax in an armchair or get to some serious research on one of our Internet computers. Most importantly, there will be a smiling, knowledgeable staff person around when needed, when you aren't finding what you need or want or you'd like assistance with technology or research. Being new here myself, I can vouch for how helpful everyone is, so come on, give us a try. Librarians are good for you.

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