If you’re anything like me, you love the library. Not just like. Love.
The shelves and shelves of books. That unique, old book smell. The quiet. The design (most libraries have pretty cool architecture). The thrill of looking through all those books. The comfort of coming back to favorites that feel like old friends. The delight in finding new reads. The possibilities…
Libraries have played an important role in my life. Growing up, we didn’t have much money to spend on books, new or used. But we could always afford to go to the library. We were – and still are – a family of readers. We could spend some serious time in the library.
Plus, when we were kids, the house wasn’t air-conditioned, but the library was. Mom might have shlepped us there to preserve her sanity, but we didn’t know it at the time. We just got to stay cool and read books!
When I grew up and moved away from home, in every move to a new town, my first stop was the library. Getting that new library card to add to my growing collection helped me feel like I was putting down roots. And, money being tighter than ever, I could do more than just check out books. Sometimes there was the internet to use. And DVDs to rent. And yes, sometimes spending an afternoon in that air-conditioned coolness.
And then libraries went online. I could order books from MelCat and pick them up at the library. I could check out ebooks with Overdrive. And listen to audiobooks while I worked. And now, do all of that right in the Libby app. When we were quarantining at home, I was still connected to the library.
Yes, I love the library. I’m planning my next visit. If you’ve read this far, I’m guessing that you love libraries too. And you may want to instill that same love in your kids. If so, check out these books (maybe at the library – hint, hint…) –
- Library Lion by Michelle Knudsen – Kids and adults will love the absurdity of a lion who loves the library, and they’ll fall in love with him, too.
- Bats at the Library by Brian Lies – It’s library night for the bats, and they take full advantage of the closed library and all those books…
- The Library by Sarah Stewart – The rhyming tale of Elizabeth Brown, who loved books so much that her house was so full it couldn’t hold one more book, so she came up with an ingenious solution.
- The Night Library by David Zeltser – The imaginative story of a boy who is given a nighttime tour of the library by Patience and Fortitude, the two stone lions that guard New York Public Library.
- Planting Stories: The Life of Librarian and Storyteller Pura Belpré by Anika Aldemuy Denise – Have you ever seen the Pura Belpré Award sticker on a book and wondered who she was? This is the picture book biography of New York’s first Puerto Rican librarian, who championed bilingual books and made a lasting impression on thousands of kids.
And now it’s your turn. Why do you love libraries? Comment below and let’s all share the love!