Some of my best memories as a kid revolve around going to the library with my family to pick out a “Junie B. Jones” book. So, when my elementary school librarian announced there was going to be a library opening off of Shawnee Mission, you can imagine that nerdy, eight-year-old me was extremely excited.

That excitement gradually wore off during the 10-year waiting period, but now that the Monticello Branch is open, I’m more thrilled than I’ve ever been before and you should be too.

The cool air whisking around your face as you walk through the modern, brightly-colored building should keep anyone wanting to come back a million times more. However, when sensory adaptation kicks in and the library glamour wears off, we need to keep the parking lot full.

We’ve always had the other libraries, and yet, many of my friends and fellow students didn’t have library cards until the Monticello Branch opened. Beyond the multiple, spacious meeting rooms and rooftop deck view, it brings so much to our community.

To start, no one should ignore a benefit that our own tax money pays for; in this case our $18 million investment. More importantly, however, the resources inside the building allow for anyone to access information, both inside paperback books and in the shiny screen of a Macbook, that they might otherwise not be able to use. Furthermore, the library offers a spot to create memories within our community.

So keep going to the library, now, weeks from now or next year. When the novelties wear off, just remember the beauty of the quaint building that ties our community together.