It's 97 degrees here in metropolitan Washington today and I want my library back. I want to walk through the quiet rows of tall shelves, drawn in by the cool anticipation of opening up a book to a first sentence that's magical enough to stop me in my tracks. Maybe even entice me to slink down right there, cross-legged on the floor, to read on for an hour or so. Whether you come in to cadge the free wi-fi, check the bulletin board for local goings-on, or entertain your three- year-old with the story hour, libraries are a crucial part of the fabric of our cities. But all that's changing fast. My neighborhood library, like those in so many communities across the country, has been shut down due to lack of public funding. And we at the grassroots level need to speak up, to advocate for the sense of place, connection, and sanctuary libraries offer people of all ages in every community, and not just the affluent ones. And we as writers have a special duty to advocate for everyone's right to a great public library. So look around this summer; become a noticer. Stick your head in your local library and find out what's going on inside. Ask what you can do to help keep your local public library system alive. Attend a county board meeting and speak up. Pay attention to what we may have taken for granted and don't let what's happened to newspapers happen to our cool, beloved libraries too.