Shortly after we moved to our current house, we got the usual deluge of welcome letters: ads for local business, insurance scams, that sort of thing. Among them was the newsletter for the local Friends of the Library group. "I like books," I figured, so I sent a donation their way. That led to an invitation to attend one of their board meetings, which it turns out was a (successful) scheme to get me to join their board.

What struck me immediately was just how much libraries - and Friends groups that support them - do. I went in with just the basic view that they were the place where you went to borrow books, but quickly learned about all the ancillary services: book discussions, art nights, chess and D&D clubs, computer access for those without, gardening programs, museum passes, tech education, and so on. They also generally act as one of the few places one can go to idly socialize without also being expected to pay money. They're often community centers in their own right, providing a friendly place for anyone, in particular marginalized or less-well-off patrons. Also, just being a member often gets you access to various e-book-lending and video streaming services for free.

Thus, despite being an inveterate introvert, I'm still involved with the local Friends and (thanks to the way our system works) on the system's board as well. It's quite likely that you have a similar group for your local library system, and I can heartily recommend you get involved. The people in it are almost definitely delightful and it's a great way to get involved in a light and flexible way.

Libraries and their Friends are also, of course, always in need of donations. A nice attribute of that is that they're usually small enough that it's easy to see the path of "more money" to "better programs". If you can - and especially if you're in a place where libraries are currently assailed by ruinous powers - find and donate to your local library. If you're lucky enough to be in a place where your system is well-funded, my local system and Friends group can always put donations to exceptional use.