WILLIAMSPORT, Pa. – February may be known for Valentine’s Day, but did you know it’s also Library Lovers Month? That’s right, this is the month when you really get to express how much you appreciate all that libraries can do for you.

Libraries provide resources and programs that engage patrons in a wide variety of topics that expand their knowledge of financial literacy, civic and social literacy, health literacy, information literacy, and basic literacy.

It’s no surprise that libraries have information to share. We level the playing field for retrieving information by providing all patrons with equal access to computers, Wi-Fi, and educational and entertainment resources that may not be available to all community members.

Here are some ways you can show your love for the library:

Contribute – Consider a tax-deductible gift to the James V. Brown Library, or you can:

• Donate your time and expertise to your library by facilitating an adult educational program either in-person or virtually.
• Honor a friend or relative’s birthday through the “Own-A-Day” program.
• Support the Friends of the Library by shopping at the Friends Bookstore on the third floor of the Welch Wing or attending their next book sale, which is scheduled April 18-20 at Christ Episcopal Church.
• Remember the library in your estate planning.

Be a Friend – Join the Friends of the James V. Brown Library, a group of volunteers who provide fundraising and other assistance. As a member, you will be informed about library funding issues.

• Donate your used books to the Friends of the James V. Brown Library.
• Give the gift of membership to a friend or relative.
• Volunteer to work in the Friends Library Bookstore or book sale.

The library supports the PA Forward statewide initiative, which believes that when Pennsylvania residents improve their command of five types of literacy – basic, information, civic and social, health and financial – they can achieve greater success as students, parents, employees, consumers, as citizens. Libraries are community centers of information, technology and learning that will fuel educational and economic opportunity for all of our citizens.

The James V. Brown Library is open from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Thursday; 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Friday; and 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday. To place a hold, visit www.jvbrown.edu or call 570-326-0536 during the library’s operating hours. Walk-in passport services are available from 9:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Monday through Thursday, 9:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Friday, and 9:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Saturday.

The James V. Brown Library, 19 E. Fourth St., Williamsport, Pa., is the place to go to learn, connect and grow. Founded in June 1907, the library champions the love of reading, opens new doors to lifelong learning, provides a haven to those who seek and ensures the preservation of public library services for future generations. The library has more than 225,000 visitors in a year and circulates a half-million items annually. A member of the Lycoming County Library System, the James V. Brown Library participates in PA Forward, a statewide initiative to promote literacies in our communities to power a better future for everyone.