When I was a little girl, one of my favorite activities was to explore the public library in my hometown of Pierce City.

At that time, the library was housed in an old church, and in the back was a long display case with artifacts from Harold Bell Wright, the namesake of the church, and the early days of Pierce City. The walls were lined with shelves filled with dusty books that had called the library home for many years.

To me, it was a special place. The librarian never got on to me for being inquisitive or told me not to touch things. I explored with amazement and she answered all of my questions.

I spent many summer afternoons with other children under the trees in the backyard listening to stories and then enjoying lemonade and cookies sitting on the old, wooden church pews inside the library.

Then, I would check out books, whatever I wanted, and rush home and devour them. As I grew older, books and libraries continued to be an important part of my life and shaped my future.

I became a high school English teacher and eventually my teaching journey led me to the school library, a very natural fit.

Advocating for children and books has become my life calling. This is what I was meant to do which is why the past year has been difficult and painful at times.

With the passing of state legislation targeting both school and public libraries, my colleagues and friends have become villains in a political battle. The good that librarians do every day is being overlooked.

As a librarian, my goal is to share the love of reading and books and I know that many of my cohorts share that belief. But, this past year, we have grown weary and looking at another year of continuous book bans, budget cuts and public scrutiny is daunting.

What do librarians, both public and school, need right now? We need support.

We need our communities to know us, the work we do, and to support our libraries. We need the patrons of our libraries and school districts to trust us.

We strive to do what we feel is best for our patrons and students. Being a librarian is about serving others and we take that role very seriously. When we cannot fulfill that duty and advocate for the needs of others, we cannot do our jobs.

The best form of support is for someone to say, “I know that you are doing what you feel is best and I support you.”

Sadly, librarians all over the nation are leaving the field. This is heartbreaking and could prove detrimental to both adolescent and adult literacy. Without the guidance and expertise of librarians, where will our future generations be?

Every week when children come into the library, I strive to be kind, letting them explore and learn to love books and reading. I want them to enjoy learning and have a place to go that makes them feel safe and happy.

That’s what this world needs. We need libraries and we need librarians. Be kind to the librarians in our communities. Be grateful for the work that they do. Tell them, “Thank you.”

Ask the librarians in our community, “What do you need?” We have to preserve libraries and the library profession to ensure the success of future generations.

We are fortunate to have public and school librarians in our communities who work tirelessly to support the needs of those they serve. I encourage you to visit our local public and school libraries or send the librarians an email or card.

Tell them how much you appreciate the great job that they do. A small amount of kindness or a word of encouragement goes such a long way and could make all the difference.

Michelle Hilburn is the president of the Cassville Area Friends of the Library and a librarian at Purdy schools. She may be reached at mhilburn@ purdyk12.com.