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I have written and spoken often over the past decade-and-a-half about the public library being an expression of democracy and community. In times of economic hardship, the public library's important role in the community becomes more readily identifiable by a larger number of citizens.

The most recognizable uses of libraries -- borrowing books and DVDs, attending free concerts and lectures, using the computer to find a job or update your job skills -- have seen an increase during economic hard times. But there are other services that have enjoyed increased usage by patrons.

In Roanoke, one library service not readily recognized for its wide appeal is the Virginia Room.

Many people mistakenly see the Virginia Room as a haven for Americans seeking to verify their American and British heritage. When it became a separate program inside the Roanoke Public Library, the Virginia Room likely catered to the people who sought those British roots.

As with other sections in the public library, the Virginia Room became a vehicle for sharing resources so that more people could be enlightened by the work already completed by others.

The evolution of the Virginia Room has expanded its reach also. Virginia Room staff now offer instruction in branch libraries and other venues away from the main library.

Not always appreciated is the evolutionary nature of the research facilitated by the Virginia Room and its patrons.

The people who decades ago were seeking landed gentry on family trees developed a body of knowledge about the craft of genealogy that is now being shared with people whose ancestors may not have come to this country under the most favorable of circumstances.

As the Virginia Room staff take this knowledge into the community, they have initiated some valuable programs. One of those is a living history archive where people tell stories of their past and the community's past -- stories that will be preserved for posterity.

The living history program has helped the former residents of Gainsboro and Northeast knit together a verbal tapestry of these once thriving neighborhoods torn asunder by urban renewal. This gift will help future generations of Roanokers understand the value of such neighborhoods. It may even prevent similar mistakes in the future.

At the same time, the Virginia Room staff are teaching the non-British among us how to trace their family roots -- sharing the knowledge gained by the experience of others in order to give people a better sense of their respective personal histories.

I learned of a delightful irony from Laura Wickstead at the Virginia Room. A former state official Walter Plecker was an avowed racist, and he devised a system of keeping track of whites and nonwhites in official records.

Researchers have learned to turn these records -- originally intended to keep African Americans and Native Americans from certain privileges -- for use to trace family roots.

As more people become acquainted with the past, they are likely to take pride in themselves and have hope for the future. Often that leads to political optimism that means more people vote and take part in our society.

Being aware of your heritage engenders pride in that heritage and leads to a passionate defense of any attempts to destroy the physical symbols of that heritage -- such as neighborhood.

So, as you listen to people like me remind you of the value of public libraries to the community, please remember that value is manifested in many ways.