When I was a kid, we lived on the next street over from the library – literally, we lived behind the library. I couldn’t have asked for a better place to live. I learned to read at a very young age, between my oldest sister learning to be a teacher and practicing on me (one of the few things I can thank her for) and my father working as a roofer, which meant he was home all winter and read to me to keep me out of my mom’s hair, I learned that books were magical things. My Uncle Bill had bookshelves all around the living room, my mother loved to read poetry (she didn’t pass that love to me) and my father read western novels. All of us were and still are readers.
We would go to Florida for two weeks in the summer. My parents would drive and I would co-pilot from the back seat, when my nose wasn’t in a book. (I never got carsick from reading, thank goodness!) I was allowed to check out as many as I wanted for those trips. The librarian and I had an understanding. She was a mean woman but she was afraid of my mother – most of the adults in my life were afraid of my mother, she did not mince words, nor did she suffer fools gladly.
When I was 11, I wanted to read Gone with the Wind. The librarian wouldn’t let me check it out, saying I was too young for such a novel. I went home, told my sister, who went to the library and checked out the book, then brought it home and handed it to me.
This same sister now lives 350 miles away, but we talk every week. One of the things we always talk about is what we’re currently reading. Libraries being closed hasn’t been a huge problem for me, Amazon loves me, but it was one of her social outlets. She’s a widow, and is often lonely. Going to the library gave her a chance to socialize with other people, and she looked forward to her weekly excursions there.
My library is finally open for browsing again. Yesterday, I talked to my sister and she told me about two books she has on order, that her library can’t seem to get in. I’ve gotten her hooked on Karin Slaughter, she’s gotten me hooked on the Faith Fairchild series, we seriously enable each other. Today I went to my library to return a book – if I own a book, it can sit unread for years, but give me a library book and that baby gets read and returned pronto. So I went inside because going into the library and smelling books and wandering about is a slice of heaven for me.
I normally limit myself to two books. It’s all my sister’s fault that I came out with three today. The two she couldn’t get were on the shelf and I just have to gloat to her that I got them when she couldn’t, because, after all, we’re sisters! (If you’re interested – The Whistler by John Grisham, The Boy from the Woods by Harlan Coben, and Broken, by Karin Slaughter. I already have A Faint Cold Fear by Karin Slaughter checked out, that’s the next in the Grant County Series)
Going to the library is a slice of normal in this currently crazy world. I’ll turn off the TV, curl up with a book and a cup of coffee, and forget about all the hatred, all the division, and all the other bad stuff going on. Maybe we all should read more and talk more about books and less about politics.
Suziecreamcheese Sings the Blues 
What a wonderful post! I am happy to hear your library is open. I was a quick bike ride from my little branch growing up, but I was just reminiscing about the main library which was downtown. It was old and big and filled with reading rooms, pillars, staircases and marble. Absolutely magical! You make me want to get in the car and go!!
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My library at home had a Tiffany window, which, when I was a kid, was totally unprotected but we all knew it was special. There was a window seat with a cushioned bench in front of it and I spent so many hours there. I miss that place, too. My library now is very small but the main library in town is like you describe. They’re being very strict about the rules – most of which I think are stupid- but I’ll abide by them because BOOKS!
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Oh, my. That sounds absolutely dreamy!
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Oh it was. And even as a kid, I knew it was special!
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I had a difficult time learning to read because Sumerian cuneiform is a very difficult alphabet. And I haven’t been in a library since the one in Alexandria burned down. But even as an oldster I have mastered the miracle that is Kindle and not a day goes by without some reading being done even if it’s done while my head bobs for apples falling asleep in bed. Pretty much one to two books per week.
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The Kindle is for when my hands are busy or when I’m eating dinner. If it’s something I want to learn about, has to be a real book that I can mark up. If I were retired, I’d read two books a week, right now it’s more like one. And I’m proud of you for being multi-lingual, do you still read Latin as well?
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Not well. My ancient Mesopotamian is much better, thanks for asking.
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well, it has been a long time since you’ve used it, I guess
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😀
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I have been a life long bookworm. I came from a family with lots of readers too. I am never not reading. I don’t even understand why people seem to need motivations to get themselves to read. Kind of like eating veggies or something. Weird, lol. Reading is like breathing to me. I don’t read many print books these days though. I converted to e-readers in 2009 and greatly prefer it. It’s easier to hold and no need for external lighting which is become more important for my aging eyes. 😉
I love the library and still borrow books all the time for my kindle. As a matter of fact, I just got a notification that the next book in a series I’m reading is available so I am off to dig in. 🙂
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and what series are you reading? I love my Kindle, I love books, I love stories any way I can get them!
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Lev Grossman’s The Magicians. It’s pretty good 👍
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Oh, I looked it up and it does look good! I shall have to check the library!
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My mother was a schoolteacher and also did manuscript reading on the side. I’ve apparently loved books before I even knew how to read myself, since I’ve been told I would insist upon my mom reading me a book if I cleaned my plate of something I didn’t like. I am a voracious reader today, and can’t imagine not having books as a place to which to escape in today’s crazy world. I belong to a book swap site, a book group on Facebook, shop for books at thrift shops and our library’s sales and trade with my bestie. And I have a Kindle, but while it has over 100 books loaded on it, I’ve promised myself I wouldn’t start using it until my to-be-read pile is gone! Maybe this year – although my bestie keeps giving me more! Books are a necessity!
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I love this post! Reading has always been an important part of my life. I prefer mysteries, biographies, nonfiction books. Not into sci-fi, romance, horror. Lately most of my books are audiobooks as I can listen and knit at the same time. I’m ready for T is for Trespass of the Susan Grafton ABC series. Unfortunately she died before she finished the “Z” book. I’m also reading the Theodore Boone series by John Grisham as recommended by my 12-yo granddaughter.
I belong to two local libraries. One in West Virginia and one in Maryland. Our house is just 7-miles from the state line and easy access to both. 99.9% of my loans are electronic now.
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I belong to our local library and the Philly Free Library – I get ebooks from there. My little library is 5 minutes from me. I love it
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