I have loved books and reading, and anything to do with books and reading, since I was a little girl. In fact, my mother loved to tell the story of how, when I was 5 years old, she began reading me The Wizard of Oz, a few chapters at a time. Then one night when she was sick and couldn’t read to me, I picked up the book and finished it myself!
We didn’t have a lot of extra money back then, but the library was free! I still remember that awestruck feeling of me in my prettiest dress and saddle shoes, walking through those large wooden doors, holding my mom’s hand, and being surrounded by what felt like a complete and sparkling galaxy of books. And I could take home any five that I wanted! It felt miraculous.
And you know what? It still feels miraculous!
In fact, I was fortunate to work in our local library for several years during high school and college. I started as a “page,” which meant I shelved books and helped at the circulation desk. Eventually I got promoted to the children’s library (not many saw that as a promotion but me, LOL) and helped to run our summer reading program one year. It was such a pleasure to activate my creativity that way—getting children excited about one of my favorite things…books and the stories we fall into.
I remember my first time in the library at Southern Connecticut State University back in 1978. A whole new library to explore! And when I tentatively asked the librarian at the massive front desk how many books I could check out, I can vividly recall the feeling of utter joy and expansiveness when she shrugged and said, “No limit.”
NO LIMIT??
I took her up on that offer, believe me! I spent hours in that library, combing the shelves for books about my passion for early childhood education, gifted education, spirituality, music, children’s literature, writing, and of course- new fiction.
Today I’m thinking more about libraries because there’s a pandemic happening right now in the world, and our library has been closed for a total of 9 weeks… and counting. When I write it here, it doesn’t seem very long, but in actuality—it feels like several years.
I miss everything about our library… and I hope never to take it for granted again.
Do you have a favorite library? A favorite librarian? Share it here! I’d love to know.
Oh, AnneMarie, the hardest thing about our shelter in place, after not being able to have time with my grandsons, is the library closure. We might be opening up to curbside in the next few weeks. And my favorite librarian, Donale Chastain, a happy SoulCollager and a regular participant in our monthly group.
I do miss being able to request books and I have not gotten up to speed with ebooks. Libraries were a part of my childhood too. My grandmother brought us piles of OZ books from the used book stores of San Francisco. She would come visit and be found lying on my sister’s bed reading them. I still have those battered and beloved books.
Dear Connie, I didn’t know that Donale is a librarian! A friend of mind in Cincinnati says that some of their libraries actually have drive-through windows. I would love that here.