Knowledge Is Power

By Kathy M.

Thinking about “The Library” brings back so many wonderful memories of my childhood! As a child, a book received as a birthday or Christmas gift was treasured. And the local library opened the doors to the wonderful world of books as I visited frequently and read and re-read Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm and Lad, A Dog as well as Carolyn Haywood’s Annie Pat and Eddie series and Beverly Cleary’s Henry Huggins series.

The Detroit Public Library’s Jefferson Branch was a frequent destination being only a few blocks from home. I can recall many summer days riding my bike to the library and borrowing the maximum 10 books, which filled the basket on my handlebars, and then heading home to spend time reading on our sunlit front porch over the next couple days. I still remember the orange biography series The Childhood of Famous Americans that introduced me to our country’s history.

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My Favorite Place

By Tamara J.  Junior high is an awkward age for most children, and I was no exception. I was not invited into the circle of “popular” kids, and I did not want to be in the circle of kids making trouble. I did well in classes, but my teachers were the only ones that knew … Read more

Loving the Library Again Through My Children

By Andrew D. 

I can distinctly remember my first visit to the public library. As a part of Mrs. Chardoul’s first grade class, we took a field trip to the East Grand Rapids Public Library, and everyone got their own library cards. (I continued to use that same card well into my 20s.)

While EGRPL is a small-town library, there is something inherently magical about it. Nestled on the shores of Reeds Lake, the glimmer on the water added movement to the walls through the windows. It made our imaginations dance beyond the words of the books. It was the hub of our community. It was where we walked to or from on our way to get ice cream at Jersey Junction (just down the street). It was there on the library’s roof where we would sit as the 4th of July fireworks were displayed over the lake. It was a respite for us young bibliophiles who couldn’t find a backpack big enough (or a bike on which to balance) to carry our collection home with us.

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Helping Me Find My Passion

By Mike S. As an adolescent, I sometimes found myself in the midst of mischief. My grades in school were suffering, I was acting out against my parents, I even visited the local police station once or twice. There was distinct a turning point in my life and that turning point began with me finding … Read more

Heart and Soul

By Kate I.

When I landed on the USC campus as a freshman in the fall of 1996, the only thing I knew I needed to do for sure was find a work-study job. For fear of waiting too long and losing out, I took the very first job I was offered — a $5.25 an hour job at a campus library. USC has a multitude of libraries, and that fall was the year a brand new library opened its doors…it was beautiful, bright, beckoning, a center of social activity, open 24 hours, bays of gleaming computers, print stations, fully staffed on site technical support, and friendly, cheerful librarians to help you maneuver the clearly labeled areas of the large building. Leavy Library.

Alas, my job was not at Leavy, it was in the much older, marble entombed, silent and still Doheny Library. With narrow stacks, a terrifying cage where the dissertations were kept, and a “periodicals” section with the most amazing ceiling, Doheny was one of the older buildings on campus and the opposite of a social space, even with the Cinema Library in the basement that allowed students to watch movies on Beta, VHS and laser-disc to their hearts’ content. The lighting was dim, the stacks were dusty, and getting lost was a nightly occurrence. There was no social hour, it was a haven for grad students and for anyone looking to disappear into their work for a little while.

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Impeccable Timing

By Lynn M. 

I just finished watching the library video story when my 7-year-old nephew knocked on my office window. Unbeknownst to me, he had been camped out under my window with his father’s watch to tell him when my work day had officially ended. The reason he was so excited? His favorite author we had been sharing together had released a new series he found at our local library. We began the original series together, first my reading to him, then progressing to sharing the reading together, and finally him reading the last three books to me. He was so excited he already read the entire book during recess, lunch, and the ride home from school. Neither his father nor his mother read for pleasure. While they are quick to pay for a new video game or toy, they do not buy him books. His love of reading is supported mainly by our local public library and his school library. Checking out my limit of books is how I devoured books when I first learned to read, and it’s so wonderful he has that resource available to him in this day and age of digital media. Without the resources a library provides, he would be limited to the books I buy for him as the only adult in his life that shares the love of reading. When he can devour a book in less than a day, it’s not a habit anyone less than a full library could sustain! It is so wonderful to see him just as excited by library day at school as he is by pizza day!

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