RAGBRAI

My husband John spent several days in July riding a bicycle across Iowa! He was part of the Register's Annual Great Bike Ride Across Iowa, or RAGBRAI, an event that involves up to 15,000 riders who pedal from the Missouri River to the Mississippi River during the third week in July. The ride is a week long and the trail is different every year, traversing through both large and small towns and in beautiful countryside. Little towns especially make it a big deal to welcome RAGBRAI as the riders come through their burg, and many hold special events to entice riders to stay awhile.

Along the route, John told me about two libraries that he went by on his travels. The first library closed for the day that RAGBRAI came through. The second library was not only open, but expanded its hours to accomodate people who wanted to check email, use the restroom, or just look around.

Now there are lots of good reasons for a library to close when they learn that thousands of people on bicycles are coming through town. But I like the attitude of the little library that stayed open. They sent a message that said "we're a library and we're part of the community...and you are welcome here".