As the nation celebrates National Library Week, I’d like to invite every Kitsap resident to get reacquainted with their library. If you haven’t been in a library since you were a child, we think you’ll find that libraries today are not at all like the libraries you may have known in the past.

Libraries are not stale, quiet institutions. They are places where you’ll hear the laughter of children while they read out loud to a dog, where you can download an ebook, where you can get help writing a business plan, where teens help seniors navigate the internet or where you can see a play. And modern libraries are still the place where you can find a great book or an easy read.

Kitsap Regional Library serves the county with nine branch libraries and a roving bookmobile. Last year, library users borrowed 2.7 million items valued at more than $41 million.

The typical household in Kitsap pays about $82 in library taxes each year. Residents who use the library get far more value from their libraries than they pay in taxes.

But you can’t get your money’s worth if you don’t use the library. So if you don’t have a library card, we urge you to apply for one. If you have a card but haven’t used it recently, stop by, say “hello” and ask our staff how your libraries can help. We’re happy to serve you.