During National Library Week, we asked you why you love libraries and love the New York Society Library in particular. Thank you for all your library love! More than 50 responses came in, and they were overflowing with enthusiasm.

Many contributors value libraries' egalitarianism and breadth of offerings - books in many formats and also places to be, things to do, and technology access. Quiet, safety, welcome, and solace are favorite elements, and many people remarked on a library as a portal, a gateway to exploration. "Libraries are adaptable - how can anyone think they’ll go extinct?" asked one writer, while another remarked that "The concept of libraries is thousands of years old, going back to around 2600 BCE. We will always have libraries."

Speaking of the NYSL in particular, participants mentioned the peace and quiet in the Members' Room ("Ahhhhhhh!"), the fun of children's storytimes, the learning opportunities of exhibitions and events, the support for writers, the New York City Book Awards, recommendations of books and poems, the camaraderie of Teatime (and Digital Teatime), and even our beautiful 18th-century Dutch clock. Shout-outs to our library card ("So colorful like a rainbow"), e-membership ("now it brings its treasures to you"), the New Books list ("introduces me to books that I've missed and want to read"), and Project Cicero ("they believe in community").

Most of all, though, it's the books in the stacks, as you can see from this word cloud:

A few more highlights:

• "There is no frigate like a book......" and the Society Library is better than a harbor full of docked frigates!
• Libraries manage to be both exciting and serene places at the same time.
• I love to browse through the stacks at the NYSL. I enjoy when destiny points me towards a certain book that potentially enriches my life.
• The Children’s/YA library is the best place to read the world and the rainbow!
• Spaces to work, write, research, and so much more. I love all the rooms at the New York Society Library, including the Members’ Room and private writing rooms.
• A quiet, soulful space to bond with my books when home was chaotic and everything else was closed.
• A sense of belonging and community (I love the Library's stacks!)
• Libraries are an important resource for knowledge and all viewpoints, without intellectual intervention or censorship.
• In more ways than one, we were all made/raised by libraries!

If you're in a position to spread the Library love, we encourage you to Join, Bring Friends, Renew, and Donate - view our Spring Appeal message from Tim Gunn and Elizabeth Winthrop for more.