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Sarasota News Leader October 5, 2012 OPINION Today, libraries have to be about so much more than friendly librarians and a great se- lection of books if they are to thrive. Luckily for us, our Sarasota County Library System knows what it takes! Our system was just named the 2012 Florida Library of the Year by the Florida Library Association. With information and pleasure-reading ma- terial now available in so many formats, our Sarasota County libraries have found just the right mix of books, DVDs and magazines, en- gaging programs and outstanding electronic resources to serve community residents and seasonal visitors. There are dozens of databases, most directly accessible and free on the library website at www.sclibs.net/resources — all you need is a Library Card. Just imagine, there you are sitting at home in your pajamas, learning a for- eign language using Mango software, getting information on your investments from Morn- ingstar Online, reading a new play from the Al- exander Street Press, learning how to fix your car through the Chilton manual or finding data on Gale Virtual Reference for your term paper. Maybe you are out of work and you are using the Small Business Resource Center online to create your own business. Do you have one of the new e-readers or tab- lets? Do you think you don't need the library anymore? Think again. Right now, from the Sarasota County's library website, you can download e-books for free to your device through OverDrive. Do you need help with that? Many of the nine Sarasota County librar- ies are offering classes for people learning to use e-readers. Our libraries continue to adapt to new tech- nologies and to meet the information and in- spiration needs of their users, no matter where they are and no matter what reading format works best for them. More than 10,000 people walk into Sarasota County libraries each day; another 30,000 visit online. But, you may ask, doesn't everyone have ac- cess to these resources through the Internet at home? Actually, many people don't; library usage increases as the economy falters. Paula in Venice recently wrote, "I have been out of work for 3 years and can't afford ca- ble or Internet hookup. The library has been a real lifesaver for its free computers and DVD rentals." Electronic resources are expensive and quick- ly become obsolete. Demand and costs for e-books and databases are rising even as state and county funds for collections decrease. The new Library Foundation for Sarasota County is committed to securing the future of our libraries by raising private dollars to complement tax dollars. You can help, too. Just visit www.sarasotalibraryfoundation.org or call 497-6643. Linda Getzen is a member of the board of di- rectors of the Library Foundation for Sara- sota County. Page 66