I have a confession to make. I am not in love with books. Unlike the librarian's stereotype; I do not thrill to the crack of new binding; I do not sniff the odor of old pages; and I certainly don't stay up all night under the spell of a "page turner." Don't get me wrong. Reading is fun. I do as much of it as I can find time for (all non-fiction for me). But I'm not addicted to reading. I'm more a binge reader, not reading anything for up to a year, and then reading three books in a month. For centuries, most Libraries' only strategy for confronting the non-reader was to devise ways to seduce them to start reading. Those who refused were marked up as "lost souls" and ignored. I have to ask myself, would I frequent the Kankakee Public Library if I didn't work here. I can honestly say yes. I say yes because KPL has faced up to the problem of what to do for people for which reading has not been, nor ever will be a part of their lifestyle. Through podcasts, internet service, public programming, DVD/CD circulation and online streaming of programming we've reached out to those who steadfastly resist the printed text. Libraries must understand that non-readers are a tax paying part of our service group who deserve some kind return on their dollar, without having librarians look down there nose at them. As scary as it may sound, people do have a right NOT to read.

Steve Bertrand
Assistant Director