Today’s Wonder of the Day was inspired by layne. layne Wonders, “Why does the library have books?” Thanks for WONDERing with us, layne!

Did you know that there's a magical place full of different worlds to explore? Some of these worlds are in the past and some are in the future. Some may even be in the here and now, just waiting to be explored.

How do you get to this magical place? Do you need fairy dust? A secret code word? A magic wand? Nope! You just need…a library card!

It's true! Your local library is filled with exciting adventures and other worlds waiting to be explored. And guess what? They're not all contained within books. You might be surprised to learn about all the other resources your local library has to offer.

For example, your local library probably has computers you can use to do research and surf the Internet. Most libraries also have collections of music and movies. Some libraries even have toys to check out, or special events such as story time, special classes, or visiting authors.

Your local library might also have a wealth of information about local history. From newspapers to photographs, there's no better place to learn about the history of your area than your local library.

Many libraries also have newspapers and magazines from around the world. If you're wondering what's going on in New York City or Paris, your local library may be able to help you find out.

So what are you waiting for? Take some time to visit your local library and learn about all there is to discover there. And don't worry if it seems a bit overwhelming. Your library has a tour guide — called a librarian — who'll be glad to help you find a whole new world to explore.

A librarian will be more than happy to help you get the hang of the Dewey Decimal System, which helps librarians catalog and track all of the resources at the library. In the past, all of this information was kept on paper cards you could find in a large piece of furniture called the card catalog. Today, though, card catalogs have mostly been replaced with computer terminals that contain all of the same information electronically. Isn't modern technology WONDERful?

Wonder What's Next?

What’s that way up there in the sky? Let’s climb up and find out tomorrow in Wonderopolis.