One of the greatest memories of my childhood is spending time among books and paper.  I've enjoyed books since I can remember.  The best place to spend quality private, family or business time is in the library.

Don't shush me!

Over the last 10 years, however, the Internet has irrevocably changed both access to and obtainment of information.  We have the capacity to take a trip to our nearest wireless device rather than a trip to our local library to get the same information and possibly more. 

We have the equivalent of the volumes of books in a library at our fingertips through various electronic mediums.  This opportunity has both positive and negative impacts on our society.

What are you saying madam librarian?

The inarguable convenience of information retrieval by way of the Internet, on the one hand, is an infomaniac's paradise. 

And, I am certain that there are a number of us who appreciate not having to make those late-night trips to the library to whiz from shelf-to-shelf as the lights flicker with impatience. 

On the other hand, we severely lack respect for our educational business blessedness and as a result, tend to take advantage of the privilege of having such tremendous access to education resources.

Professor Harold Hill taught "Convenience is essential to utility." 

The way we value a person, place or thing in our lives has to have some basis in their availability to us at any given moment.  But, we cannot automatically equate accessibility with value. 

There is a lot of information that we can readily access, but has no inherent value.  It does not teach or edify us in any way, so its value is misrepresented because of its accessibility. 

Ironically, the educational and business intelligence available to us today in libraries and on the Internet is often underappreciated.

Nothing saddens me more than to think that our propensity for material gain has overshadowed our appreciation for the national treasury of knowledge, education and wisdom we are privy to. 

What does this have to do with "76 trombones"? 

You need to become a reader again.  Your business needs you to become a reader again.  You need to be in the Library, in Barnes & Noble, in Borders, and in the no-name book stores.

Prosperity is in books.  Been There Done That is in books.  Marketing is in books.  Ideas are in books.  Innovations are in books. 

You need to take the family to the library to explore the wonders of the world as written by many well-known and not-so-well-known authors.  It is important to make that a priority just to experience the sheer joy of being around books as knowledge and information ooze from them. 

Libraries and museums will always be part of the fabric of this country.  They should also be a part of your business strategy and tactics.

There is trouble.  Right here in River City. 

For those who are most apt to read electronically, there is now a tidal wave of wireless readers coming ashore. 

They boast of instantaneous access to countless thousands of newspapers, books, magazines, blogs, and even, Wikipedia.  Knowledge may be gained for a moment but lost in the maze of keyboard strokes and the browser button.

Your businesses can be defined by the quality of its education.  It's defined by accessibility to information, but even more importantly, the applicability of information for its purposes. 

You need to become a reader again. 

I challenge you to start a love affair. 

No not with the librarian, but with reading.

Maverick Rules!