Wednesday Open Line


April is an important month in the world of books. In 1800, one of the world’s greatest libraries, the Library of Congress, was founded, and Noah Webster published the first dictionary of American English in 1826. This is also the fourth day of National Library Week, celebrating libraries, those who staff them and the billions of materials they circulate. While computers and electronic media are of increasing importance in the services libraries offer, books remain at the core of their collections. In 2010, there were about 9,000 public libraries across the U.S., along with 17,000 branches and bookmobiles, serving over 297 million customers. You can find more facts about America from the U.S. Census Bureau, online at <www.census.gov>.