In honor of Friends of Maine Libraries Week, I decided to share some reasons why libraries are busy and active cultural centers, as relevant as ever before.

We serve hundreds of people each week at the Bailey Public Library in Winthrop. We get lines of people at the circulation desk similar to to the ones in a store. Sometimes, people ask, “Why are people using the library’s parking spots?” Answer: Because they are using the library.

There are at least eight reasons why I believe public libraries remain busy, thriving and well-loved institutions.

• Physical books. People are reading physical books in full force. A person asked me “why are they building bigger libraries? Everything is on Kindle now.” Well, no. As many articles touting the resurgence of independent bookstores have pointed out, physical books are still widely read. We circulate thousands per month. Some people who own e-readers still read physical books as well, and many people do not want to read on e-readers at all. We promote all of the multiple ways to read, but physical books remain the biggest reason people come through the door.

• E-books. A library card entitles the patron to thousands of e-books. People who primarily read e-books don’t always want to buy every e-book they read. People who have a library card gain access to a whole new world of reading.

• Readers’ advisory. Patrons expect library staff to know their product in the same way a car salesperson knows cars. When members come in, they want books, and they are often in a hurry. They want us to tell them what to read. We learn the reading habits of our patrons, and there is nothing better than saying, “You’re going to love this” or “This one is not for you.” People depend on and respect us for our knowledge of books and our attention to their particular preferences.

• Cultural events. Libraries offer everything from book discussion groups to art displays, author talks and poetry readings. Some things aren’t even necessarily associated with a public library, such as free yoga nights. Our aim is to promote culture and the arts in our communities.

• Children’s services. An essential component of any public library is the children’s department, where kids can kickstart a lifetime of reading. Free programs that we offer on a rotating weekly basis include music hours, kids’ yoga and puppet story times. Check out any local library for a similar variety of fun for children in central Maine. We also work with our schools on summer reading programs to keep the love of books alive during the summer.

• Public computers. An extremely popular feature of public libraries are the computers and free wi-fi. In a tough economy, many people have made the decision to get rid of Internet access in their homes. People use the library to apply for jobs, communicate with loved ones, print documents and surf the Web. Without us, many people would be in a bind.

• Reference questions. Even in the Internet age, we get all kinds of reference questions. I recently helped a woman who called to ask a question, and when I concluded the call, a patron standing nearby said, “You tell people the weather?” Yes, and we give directions, provide the names of Supreme Court justices, and even crossword clues. We show people how to navigate Dewey decimal, teach people how to download e-books, help people learn their way around gmail, send faxes and whatever else is thrown at us. People come to the library for answers, and if we don’t have them, we do our best to find them.

• Sense of community. This is a huge part of why people come in. We are part of people’s Saturday errands, their morning commute, their post-work destination for a movie to watch. They share stories from their lives, and they often run into friends who also are grabbing a book. The library is a community hub. We extend the concept of community in myriad ways, by partnering with schools, our town’s bookstore or providing outreach services to nursing homes.

Happy Friends of Maine Libraries week, and to all libraries, keep up the good work. We are not going anywhere.

Shane Malcolm Billings is adult services librarian at Bailey Public Library, Winthrop.