Last night I tried to explain Al-Qaeda to my 6 year old son. We were picking out his clothes for school. I suggested that he wear his t-shirt with the American flag in honor of September 11th, and the conversation turned to what happened that day.

It was a Tuesday, and he was 9 months old. Some of the things that I remember: that his day care was on "lock down" so I was late getting to work. When I got there, the staff asked permission to listen to the radio - we had no TV. As the days events unfolded, we didn't know what to make of what we were hearing: our State capital closed, the local mall closed. The staff asked me if we should close. So I called our Mayor, Mayor Green, who wisely said no. The best thing we could do was to stay open.

That entire day people came to our Library not so much to check out a book, but to talk to us; to be with other people; to gather with their neighbors; to get information. I truly realized that day the importance of our role as a community center. In the days, weeks, and months after this event they continued to look to us for answers; for information about the Middle East, Muslims, Islam, and Al-Qaeda.

While I have donned a red, white, and blue outfit today, and displayed our American flag in front of our house, probably the most patriotic thing that I am doing is going to work. The Library is open, providing access to information, a forum for differing opinions, and a common meeting place for all.

Cindy Fuerst
Library Director