This week, April 23-29, is National Library Week.

If it has been a while since you have stepped into a library, it is time to check it out. Libraries are no longer silent caverns of books with bespectacled librarians shushing you. They are vibrant places, where you will find patrons of all ages utilizing their library in dozens of ways.

Sure, you can still check out a book, but you can also check out an e-book, an e-magazine, an audio book, a movie, a table game, a laptop, a sewing machine, a musical instrument. You can use a public computer or free Wi-Fi, listen to a story, learn a new language and more. You can connect with others through book discussions, informative classes, story-time or gaming sessions. And from your phone or computer, you can take advantage of many of these benefits from the comfort of your home.

Load comments