There was a time, before the age of Facebook and Kindle and tweets, that public libraries were the pride and centerpiece of every thriving and growing community.

Here in Newton County, we have such libraries. Unfortunately, public funding is tight, and there is a major struggle to repair its buildings and keep its many worthwhile programs going.

For those of us who still feel books are alive, there is nothing more comforting than to be surrounded by books or to hold an actual book in our hands, a book that comes alive with words that fill us with joy or fear or just plain enjoyment.

May we suggest that this summer, you take your family and spend some time at our local libraries. It’s not only a cool place to be in the summer, but also your family will have a cool time exploring what it has to offer.

If you feel that it would be a major loss to see our libraries close someday, to go the way of dinosaurs or Edsels, talk to your county representatives. Tell them to ensure that our libraries are properly funded.

If enough of us do that, we are sure that Newton County will continue to be the proud home of these buildings which hold a wealth of information for everyone.

For more information about summer activities at our local libraries, visit get.geekthelibrary.org.