I have always been a library lover. I remember going to the library and getting stickers when I checked out my books before I could even read. When I was sick as a little girl, I remember my mom bringing me home library books about a lion who wore boots. I was in my school library when I saw The Challenger explode. In grade school I discovered a fantastic series of children's biographies in my public library and wanted to be Louisa May Alcott so that I could fight social injustices (she ran a halfway house when she wasn't writing). (This was followed by discovering books about blind kids and learning to write my name--actually the name Melinda, which I preferred to use when I was pretending to be blind--in Braille by poking index cards with a straight pin.) In junior high I started reading Agatha Christie and just about scared myself out of reading forever with And Then There Were None. (I still find the modus operandi of the murderer to be creepy, creepy, creepy.) One summer while visiting my sister at Penn State, I had the most serene afternoon sitting in the university library reading, while my sister attended meetings. I couldn't imagine feeling any more at home than I was that day in a library. I studied in the library in college. I got taken "husband shopping" in the library. When I worked a monotonous job, I got my books on CD to listen to from the library. When I go on trips, I drag my companions to see the local libraries. I currently have 64 items checked out of my library, and I have 39 items on hold.
I love libraries. I love what they represent and what they provide and what they want to be for their communities.
Happy National Library Week!
5 comments:
I too was in the library to watch the Challenger explode, yet I kept going back. Saddest day ever (or at least on the list): they wouldn't let me go into the Oxford Library just to look around, I had to have some legitimate purpose and be able to prove it. Sigh...good post from you.
I love libraries too thanks for the post. How on earth do you have 64 items checked out? I get nervous when I have more than 4 out at a time.
Happy Library Week
hey, guess what? we, in our small way, are celebrating library week here! one of our vendors sent us a cake. to be honest, that's about all we're going to do, but hey, it works.
Eliana--Oooh, would like to see the Oxford library.
Yankee Girl--Staff=no overdue fines. I do sometimes get overwhelmed when I have too much to read/watch/listen to and drag huge piles of stuff back to the library, but mostly I love being surrounded by it all.
Rebekah--I wish someone would send US a cake. We aren't celebrating at all this year. Except in our hearts.
I have hit a record low of 47 items checked out right now, in only one library. Put all of your holds on hold for me, would you? (Except for the chick-lit stuff that I've never gotten into . . .)
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