By Corrine L. As an MLIS graduate student, one of the first questions we were asked in our foundations class was “What Is A Library?” A pretty straightforward answer, right? That’s what most of the class thought until an hour-long debate about whether ancient cave paintings actually constituted a library or not. What I’ve loved … Read more
By Chris J.
My first experience with a library was the bookmobile that would come around in the summer when I was a child in Cincinnati, Ohio. Seeing it come down the street was more exciting than the ice cream truck! We would be so excited to pick out a few books to read until the bookmobile would return! The librarian was always helpful in suggesting something she thought we would like too.
By Catherine M.
I, among some other thousands of library visitors of all ages, benefit by enjoying traditional books, e-books, computer classes, DVDs and CDs. Visitors research, read, share, learn, attend quality programs and use information for lifelong learning and leisure pursuits.
By Jessica D.
I was lucky enough to have been raised by a mother who was steeped in reading from a young age. Given that, she surrounded us with books, magazines, newspapers. Not only did she volunteer in our school library, but she made weekly trips to the library a necessity in our house. We’d enter and my sister and I would make our way into the children’s section. Usually, I’d head straight to find “my” copy of Molly Bang’s The Grey Lady and the Strawberry Snatcher and my older sister would search out for “her” A Cache of Jewels. My mother signed us up for every summer reading program and we’d meticulously track our reading and books.
By Bernice C. Most of my friends think I was probably born in a library and live there, but I actually have a family and live on a farm. The truth is that libraries became my mission in life, as I found them a special haven whenever I needed one. I vaguely remember my first … Read more
By Tina M. When my son was three, he had a seizure, and then another. I took him to our family doctor, who prescribed some medication, but was not an expert on seizure disorder. We ended up at the shrine hospital in Chicago, where a no-nonsense pediatric neurologist told me I must become the expert, … Read more
By Philip S. As a child, my family moved around a lot. Once, when asked how she tolerated relocating from one town to another, my mother replied, “As long as there’s a church and a library, I’m happy.” I recall after one move, getting my new library card and rediscovering many of the familiar friends … Read more
By Mary R. I know of a family that has lived on a limited income and comes from a challenging social background. I brought some of the children from this family to the library years ago and have since lost contact with the family. I currently work in an academic library and last week, I … Read more
By Mike G. For 3 years, I would come into the library, though not even a patron, to work on writing articles and hopefully a book. Each time I was here, I was very cognizant of how friendly and helpful all the library staff seemed to be. Never gave a thought that one day, I … Read more