February is almost over, but it’s a month full of holidays including Valentine’s Day and Presidents Day.

February also is a month that brings awareness to many causes, including heart health awareness.

In the library world, we like to focus on the fact that February also is known for being Library Lover’s month. Not just in February, but throughout the spring I encourage you to take a moment to “Love Your Library.”

There are many ways that you can love your library in traditional as well as nontraditional ways.

A more traditional way to “Love Your Library” is to use your library card or get a card if you don’t already have one. A North Olympic Library System card can be used not only to check out books and magazines, but did you know you also can use it to check out DVDs, audio books, e-readers and electronic books?

Your library card also gives you access to public computers and online electronic resources such as the Mango language instruction database, the Small Business Reference Center and the Medline Plus medical information service.

Another more traditional way that you can “Love Your Library” is to donate your used books to the Friends of Sequim Library. FOSL holds monthly book sales, raising thousands of dollars that support library programs and activities for young people and adults as well as capital improvement projects at the Sequim branch.

Get involved

Some less traditional but equally beneficial ways that you can “Love Your Library” include volunteering at the library. Volunteers help the library in many capacities. Are you interested in taking materials to homebound patrons, cleaning book covers or helping with programs? By volunteering you can use your skills and abilities to give back and love the library in your own way.

Another “Love Your Library” option is to attend the programs offered at the Sequim Library and other branches of the North Olympic Library System.

You can find programs and classes at the library, including movies for adults and teens, conversation groups, financial workshops and “How Do I … ?” workshops that will educate as well as entertain you.

Last, but not least, you could consider making a contribution to the North Olympic Library Foundation. The foundation was created to further diversify the sources of support for our wonderful library system. For years, public funds and the Friends groups at each branch library have provided operational and specific program funding.

The foundation is another avenue for library lovers to make major gifts and bequests to the library for system-wide technology, capital and other needs and long-term fiscal stability.

As you can see there are many ways for you to show your love for your library system. Please tell us what you think through social media like Facebook and Twitter, by filling out a comment card the next time you’re in the library, by attending a library program or delving into a new book.

We look forward to seeing you at the Sequim Library!

Antonia Krupicka-Smith is the youth librarian at the Sequim Library.