Your Local Library is a Great Resource

With March being "National Crochet Month" I am delighted that I was able to confirm today that our Connecticut CGOA Chapter will have two Library displays to celebrate it.  One will be at the New Fairfield Library, focusing on "Crochet: Then & Now" -- with pieces from our crochet past to our crochet present. This display will include a variety of crochet including antique Irish Crochet to our modern day Freeform techniques.  Our display will be available for viewing during the second half of the month.

Our other library display will take place at the Bethel Library, and there we will be concentrating on "Tools of the Trade" -- a look at the different types of crochet hooks, as well as other "tools" and the end results.  This will include crochet techniques such as Tunisian, Hairpin, Broomstick, and more!  This display will be for the entire month of April.

I think having two library displays this year will be pretty exciting!  And of course, when the time comes closer, I'll do more blog posts about them.

This also brings to mind of how wonderful it is that we have free public libraries!  Did you know that in 1848, The Boston Public Library became the very first free library in the United States to lend material, giving people the opportunity to have access to research material, general reading material, and various forms of the Arts!  This is the same time period of the Great Potato Famine in Ireland where crochet became THE leading industry helping to save millions of lives!

I know here in Connecticut our local libraries do a FANTASTIC job of getting various materials for loan to it's patrons.  And yes, this means crochet magazines, books, and videos!  I look at it as a means to check out materials that I am unsure if I want to splurge and add to my private collection.  By checking the book out of the library, I have LEGAL access to try a pattern -- and if I run out of time (they usually give about three weeks to borrow the material), I can always renew it.  This is how I fell in love with the book, Crochet Your Way.  I borrowed that book so much that eventually I purchased it for my private collection.  I like to think of it as a means to "test drive" books if I'm only interested in a pattern or two.

The next time you see a book or magazine with a single pattern you'd like to try, then I encourage you to visit your local library and request to borrow it like I do.  If they don't have it available then there's a good chance they can get it via "intra-library" loan (the act of them borrowing it from another branch in your state to then loan it to you).  The more crochet materials you request, the more, eventually, they'll start stocking their shelves with more crochet material to have on hand for your visits. 

And, the beauty in borrowing the material is that you have LEGAL access to it for personal use.  Test driving crochet patterns, with legal access, honoring copyrights, and not spending a dime to do so -- it doesn't get any better than that -- unless you tell your crochet friends & family about this fantastic, and FREE, crochet reference resource too!  :)