My Library Story

Every Stage of My Life

By Laura M. 

Public libraries have played an important role in every stage of my life and some of my happiest memories. No matter where I live, the library is part of my life. I’m sure I’d be a different person without school and public libraries. And now with the digital reference/databases researching is a breeze.

The local library was also a place to recharge my batteries when I was the caregiver for my mother-in-law. Even now some of the things on my bucket list are there because I read about them as a child, teen, or adult at a library. Some of them I’ve been lucky enough to cross of the list. It was thrilling to visit places I read about at the library. Like the Paint Pots in Yellowstone National Park. Or the La Brea Tar Pit.

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“Library” is Love

By Tegan M.  Some of my very first memories involve the library. I grew up in a rural town on a small farm. My mother was/is an avid reader and we visited the library nearly once a week. There were small carved figurines, statues, paintings and so many books my little brain couldn’t comprehend where … Read more

Libraries Are Such Peaceful Places

As a reader and author, libraries are both a treasure trove and a retreat for me. Their peace and quiet are calming and the endless shelves of books are wonderful to see – let alone read! Librarians are helpful and knowledgeable, and they’re usually great characters.

I love bookstores, but libraries have something so intriguing about them. While the internet provides an instant, practical research tool, sometimes doing a little digging through real pages informs research for a book in a new way.

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Libraries Forever!

By Kathleen K.  My favorite trip as a young child was going to the library. There were always new books to look at, read and discuss. In every community I have ever lived in – and there have been quite a few – I have ALWAYS gone to the local library to get a library … Read more

My Mom Made Me Do it

By Debra M.  I fell in love with reading and books early on, and really became a voracious reader in third grade. We didn’t have much of a school library, so I used our public library in Jackson, MS as own personal bookstore. In college I was majoring in education, and while home for summer … Read more

For the Love of Books

By Sara T.

I was five when I got my first library card. It was green and beige and I got to “sign” the back – clear evidence of my terrible kindergarten handwriting. My mom and I would take weekly trips there, a bag load of books hanging from her shoulder and an eager kid with a gap-toothed smile pulling on her arm to get inside.

I grew up in the pages of “Corduroy” and “Harold and the Purple Crayon,” “Junie B. Jones” and “Little Critter.” And when I got tired of imagined classrooms and lost buttons, I found “Harry Potter,” “Nancy Drew” and “Charlie Bone.” Books were the one thing my mom would always splurge on when I was young. Who needed more clothes or toys when you could have books – a quasi-toy that I would play with for much longer than my Barbies.

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School Librarian Feeds Sharks

By Margot H. 

My 5th-grader loves her school librarian, Miss S., who is quirky in the best possible ways. We often see her around town, walking while reading a book. Her newly hatched chicks are always a big draw at Back-to-School-Night. And Miss S. has a special knack for helping each student find the perfect book.

Last week, my daughter came home from school excited to share a story involving the librarian and our beloved Monterey Bay Aquarium.

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Like a Phoenix

By Christe H.  Our school library has taken many turns in the 20 years I have been here. Going from a classroom, to an expansion where we rubbed elbows with construction workers, and moved the books 4 times; to a catastrophe when our school caught fire and the school was closed for one year. When … Read more

Travel

By Lori Z.  The library is a portal to a larger world. It goes beyond books and media. Library programs have introduced my family to singers, actors, artists and writers from around the world. It reminds us that we are part of a much larger community and has gifted us with a different perspective than … Read more