The world’s oldest known library was founded around 2,700 years ago as a private collection of looted works for the personal enjoyment of the 7th Century BC Assyrian ruler, Asherbanipal.That little piece of trivia would be interesting enough without the fact that one of the literary works in Asherbanipal’s library is not only still available in today’s library system, but also the humble, little Libby Library has a copy of that, now, over 6,000 year old piece of work. The “Epic of Gilgamesh” is one of the oldest known stories ever written. It is mind-boggling to realize that not only has the story endured, but it has also transcended time and traversed the globe.

Collecting stories was the goal of the bibliophile, Asherbanipal. According to historical records, he was an avid reader and placed a very high value on his literary acquisitions, to the point that thievery was punishable by the eradication of one’s identity from history. They weren’t just going to execute the thief. They were going to wipe out every record of his existence and erase his story for future generations. Asherbanipal knew the value of preserving one’s story.

Stories are the threads in the fabric of our culture and community. We all have amazing stories, and this year during National Library Week from April 23-29, we will be promoting the theme, “There’s More to the Story.” In short, there is more to the story of the library than most people realize, and those stories come in all forms.

Humans have been sharing stories since the dawn of time, even before there were books. Back in those days, stories were all audio or visual. There is a theory that the cave paintings were drawn in such a way that when viewed by firelight, the images would become animated. It was the pre-historic version of a movie theater! Here at Libby Library, we are honoring our ancestors’ storytelling with our extensive DVD collection, but not only that. Did you know that library card holders can also take advantage of our free streaming service? Move over Netflix! Libby Library has Kanopy! If you haven’t seen it yet, the television series, The Librarians, is available on Kanopy. We also have audiobooks galore, both on CD, available here at the library, and through CloudLibrary.
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f you prefer sitting quietly and reading, we still have you covered! CloudLibrary offers e-books, too! And of course, books are what libraries do best, but as a Libby Library card holder, your book borrowing options are not limited to what we can house here in our little library. Not only can our patrons borrow books from our collection, but library card holders can also access materials from other libraries through Interlibrary Loan and reciprocal borrowing. Interlibrary Loan allows our patrons to borrow materials we don’t own from other libraries. Visiting downtown Biddeford or work in Kennebunk? Both libraries (and many others) allow card holders from participating libraries to borrow materials with their home library card. A list of participating libraries is at the circulation desk and on our website at www.ooblibrary.org.

All that sounds great, for people who can get a library card, right? Everyone knows that residents and property owners are all eligible for a free card, but did you know that all full and part-time year-round employees here in town can get a free Libby Library card? Stop by the library with your photo ID and proof of employment, and we can get you set up with a card.

And none too soon, either, because summer is right around the corner, which means most of us will be spending more time outside. Libby Library has you covered there, too. Stop by and ask about our Library of Things, check out a tennis racquet or two, and head into Memorial Park for a little love-set-match.

After the game, feel free to come back to the library and enjoy some of our classes, workshops, and clubs. There’s something for just about everyone, from children’s story time with a craft to the Vivacious Vittles workshops coming up this summer. For more information about all of the programs being offered here at the library, check out the calendar on our website at www.ooblibrary.org with paper copies available at the circulation desk. There is something every day. The library is a busy place.

There’s a misconception that a story is only two-sided. A story is multi-faceted and intricately woven around the place and the people or the things it encompasses. Like a fine tapestry, the threads of the tale intertwine and mingle to create a picture. That’s especially true of the library stories and the story of the library. For every person who enters our doors, a new story begins, and we love nothing more than adding new threads to the weave. Your library card is the loom through which your story’s threads are woven. As our favorite Aardvark has been known to say, “Having fun isn’t hard when you’ve got a library card.”