“I have found the most valuable thing in my wallet is my library card. ”- Laura Bush

To current and future lovers of the library, here are some of the many noteworthy activities available to you that you may not already be aware of. All of them are free with a library card at our beautiful Homer Public Library.

As our daylight hours get shorter and the temperatures drop, maybe traveling is in your thoughts for this winter — traveling in your mind, in the air or on the ground? It’s all good. Learning another language is also a truly great way to open up our awareness to other ways of seeing the world, while stimulating our brain which can open a path to other cultures. As a young person, working in Nepal, one of the many gratifying “take- aways” I had from that experience was being able to read and speak a different language. Not every person wishes for, or has this opportunity.

You can, however, learn other languages through our library’s fabulous program called Mango Languages. The program is wifi ready and downloadable for easy portability. Check out the 72 languages available to you and your family. You can learn American Sign Language, Hawaiian, Spanish, Swahili and many more. What a fun way to enhance our brains and expand our appreciation of other cultures as well.

Home Bound services: For Homer folks who are unable to come into the library, you can have books, audio-books and magazines brought to you at home each week. To access this great service, just go to the main library website at https://www.cityofhomer-ak.gov/library and click on “What We Offer” in the left hand column, then scroll down to Services-Homebound. Or, call the library at 235-3180 and request the Homebound coordinator.

Our HPL is such a valuable community resource. What is your library worth to you? It’s interesting to calculate how much money you have saved by using the Library. Just scroll down the library’s main page and use the Library Value Calculator. I did, and found out I have saved more than $125 this year on books and magazines.

If you would like to help support your library, feel free to visit http://friendshomerlibrary.org to learn how to contribute to its continued quality and success.

Beyond the regularly scheduled events and on-line programs, please consider sharing lunch and a chat with your City Council members, Mondays 11 a.m.to noon. Next month, council member Rachel Lord visits on Dec. 11. What a great chance to hear from our Council members, as well share your ideas, concerns and dreams for Homer.

On Thursday Dec. 14 meet with Marjorie Scholl and celebrate local art while learning about her life as an artist. One of her paintings, “Russian Girl On the Volga,” is on display now in the library by the fireplace.

See you in the library.

Kate Finn is a member of the Library Advisory Board.