CONTRIBUTED

North Carolina's poet laureate Cathy Smith Bowers joins North Carolina public libraries to promote Library Card Sign-up Month in North Carolina.

She encourages children, families and North Carolina residents to visit their public library and sign up for a library card.

In a recent video shoot, Bowers shared her memories of signing up for her first library card.

"One of the most exciting days of my life was the day I got my first library card," says Bowers. "Libraries will always be important to me because I know the sense of freedom and awe and magic they can bring."

Bowers, a poet and word lover, encourages all North Carolinians to visit their library - to take time from their busy lives to explore the rich literature and many wonderful resources available at their library.

Appointed by Gov. Bev Perdue in January, Bowers serves as an ambassador of North Carolina literature by affirming the transformative value of poetry in our lives. The poet laureate program is administered by the N.C. Arts Council.

September is Library Card Sign-up Month - a time when the State Library of North Carolina and libraries across the state spread the message that the library card is the "smartest card."

The goal is to make the library card the most valued and used card for North Carolina citizens. More than 5 million North Carolinians are card-carrying library users, and during the last fiscal year more than 44 million visited their public library and over 9 million used the Internet computers.

A recent American Library Association report found that the importance of libraries in American life continued to grow in 2010 - and accelerated dramatically as the national economy sank and people looked for sources of cost-effective help in a time of crisis.

Now more than ever, Americans turn to - and depend on - their libraries, and librarians, financial information, computer and Internet access and, of course, books, movies and more.

During her visits to North Carolina libraries, State Librarian Mary Boone has seen firsthand how libraries are meeting the urgent needs of their communities.

"Public libraries provide an impressive array of services that are critical to the communities they serve," she says. "Our libraries connect people with resources, responding daily to the needs of their economically struggling communities."

North Carolina's "Smartest Card" initiative is part of The Campaign for America's Libraries, a multi-year public awareness and advocacy effort by the American Library Association.

Begun in 2004, the campaign promotes the value of public libraries nationwide.

The State Library of North Carolina works in partnership with communities to develop library service, coordinates statewide programs for all types of libraries, and offers direct library service to state employees, genealogy researchers, and people who have visual and physical handicaps.

The State Library of North Carolina is part of the Department of Cultural Resources, the state agency with the mission to enrich lives and communities, and the vision to harness the state's cultural resources to build North Carolina's social, cultural and economic future. Information is available at www.ncculture.com.