Editor's Note
Correction: The April 4 Notebook was based on a "Moving On" column by Jeffrey Zaslow that ran in The Wall Street Journal on March 15 with the headline, "Of the Places You'll Go, Is the Library Still One of Them?" Much of the material in the Notebook came from Mr. Zaslow, and we should have acknowledged that at the top of our piece. We offer our sincere apologies for the omission.
I have my library card at the Haverstraw King's Daughters Public Library.The name Haverstraw comes from the early Dutch settlers' word for oats (Hafer) and straw (stroo),i.e., oat straws, which grow along the banks of the Hudson River. The HKDPL is very well run. To get there, one takes the PIP North from the George Wasington Bridge for about 35 minutes until Exit 13, and then goes east on Rt.202 for about a mile. (Immediately west on Rt.202, next to the PIP overpass over Rt.202, is a very nice fine diner, called the Mont Ivy Diner.) They also give great library talks at the library about topics like Tai Chi and others, and also provide artist and author guest lecturers, as well as organize group bus trips into the city! Next to the library is a great supermarket where one can buy red hot chile peppers also! By the way, if your book is late by a day, they only charge you a nickel! It's like the good ol' days! Ah, yes... the local public library!...It's a home away from home!!
It is truly a lost art and unfortunately one many of us who grew up in "the good old days" are allowing youngsters to forget or at least underuse. I agree, we must teach kids to incorporate libraries into their lives and to depend less on Google.
Hey, if this does not happen, at least we can dream!!!