Get Your Geek On at the Farmington Community Library

Farmington Hills city council member Ken Massey geeks the Farmington Community Library. 

In a blog post that's part of the library's 2013 "Geek the Library" initiative, Massey writes:

"I geek the vast amount of information that resides within our library. When deciding to take on a task, I can count on finding the initial information I need to get me started. It doesn’t stop there; if more detailed information is needed to finish the activity that is also accessible through my library."

Geek the Library is a national effort to raise awareness about libraries, the resources they offer and how they are funded. Librarian Kelley Siegrist notes that library support is an attitude and not really tied to use of the library. 

The year-long initiative uses the word "geek" as a verb, with four definitions explained at igeekfcl.wordpress.com:

1. To love, to enjoy, to celebrate, to have an intense passion for.
2. To express interest in.
3. To possess a large amount of knowledge in.
4. To promote.

"Everybody has an interest, everybody has a passion, and the library has the information to help you pursue your passion," Siegrist said.

The official kick-off for the local Geek the Library program happens Feb. 10, with a "full red carpet experience" event at the Farmington Civic Theater, children's librarian Maria Showich-Gallup said. 

"I am super-excited about this, because I geek the Oscars," she added. Tickets will be on sale soon at both the Main Library and Farmington branch. 

Confirmed events also include a city-wide scavenger hunt in April and an adult winter reading program. Librarians also plan to infuse Geek the Library into summer story times at the Walter E. Sundquist Pavilion and to partner with local businesses. 

Farmington is fortunate to have strong support, librarians say, as demonstrated by overwhelming support for a library millage renewal in 2011. But nobody at the library is taking that support for granted. 

"You will see us everywhere for the next year," Siegrist said. "Whatever your interest may be, we do have something in the library to support you ... We want to transform people's lives, to enrich their lives."

To let people know what you geek, visit the Geek the Library blog. You can also follow the Library on Facebook and Twitter, and look for images on Flickr and Pinterest.