Ah, the fresh, clean start to a brand new year. So much promise, so much potential.

I am setting aside the “traditional” resolutions this year and focusing instead on this idea: What is out there already that I want to pay attention to and be a part of?

First on my list: Libraries.

Midcoast resident Heather D. Martin wants to know what’s on your mind; email her at heather@heatherdmartin.com.

Man, I love libraries. OK, so given that I am a certified librarian who taught elementary library for six years, I suppose that is not a shocking revelation, but take a moment to stop and think about it.

Libraries are staggeringly cool.

Libraries are spaces set up to collect, curate and share knowledge. I feel like we might have become used to them, but what a breathtaking idea. Not a new one either.

Libraries go back a long, long way. The first known example, the Library of Ashurbanipal (which is where we get the 4,000-year-old “Epic of Gilgamesh’) was located in what is now Nineveh, Iraq, and dates back to the seventh century B.C.E.

Then, we have my own personal favorite, the library of Ennigaldi-Nanna, daughter of the Babylonian king Nabonidus and priestess to the moon deity Sin. OK, yes, technically Enningaldi-Nanna built and curated a museum (the first one ever so far as we know) but within her museum (530 B.C.E.) there were texts. Plus, she is just the coolest. So I’m including it.

The Library of Alexandria, of course, comes in as the most well known, and for a reason. It amassed a truly staggering collection. Estimates put it at 40,000 written texts.

Cool as these historical versions are, though, for my money, I give props out to Henri Labrouste, who is being honored by the Museum of Modern Art for his work in creating the modern library; Andrew Carnegie (mogul), who stated in his Gospel of Wealth that “‘establish(ing) a free library in any community that is willing to maintain and develop it’ was the best way to spend money”; John Cotton Dana (hero), who revolutionized museums and libraries to be “of service” to their communities; and to Anne Carroll Moore, who created library spaces for children.

Today, libraries continue to evolve in their role – while remaining true to that core tenant: that they exist to serve knowledge and the community. Libraries were among the first to be open access for wifi, email and tax filing. Many libraries have expanded their collections to include tools, sports equipment and business attire for folks job hunting who need to look the part but don’t yet have the funds.

Above all, though, they are about the books and preserving our First Amendment rights. In addition to maintaining the stacks, there are numerous online services. Most libraries offer instant downloads of audio books, and NoveList is a handy-dandy database, maintained by the Maine State Library, that allows anyone with a library card from their local library access to reading recommendations and resources.

Libraries are also, unsurprisingly, coming in for a fair amount of heat these days. Which breaks my heart. In so many ways, they are the heart of our communities – serving everyone without exception or question, even if the only thing needed is a warm place to be for a few hours. They are vital to our collective well-being.

I backed that idea up this year, making gifts to the local libraries of my siblings as their Christmas gift. I have also set up (modest) monthly giving to my own, and I will be volunteering my time because, in this one instance, I am inclined to agree with Carnegie. They are, far and away, the best investment.

May all our new years be bright, and may your local library be a source of community and joy in the months ahead.