My Library Story

When I Fell in Love

By Kati D.  As I sit here reflecting on my career as a librarian, I can clearly remember the moment I fell in love with libraries. When I was 11 years old, I rode my bike every Saturday to the library. I would take a packed lunch and spend the entire day camped out in … Read more

Family Ancestry

By June C.

I was at a dead end to finding my family ancestry when one Saturday morning, sitting at a local tire station waiting for my car, I picked up the Florida Times Union and found an article by Amanda Durish Cook, titled, “Experts will guide the research of Jacksonville’s archive-worthy abodes,” telling the resources that are available at the Downtown branch of the Jacksonville Public Library on the fourth floor. There are a wealth of resources at my hands for FREE to research – I was thrilled and could not wait to get there to see if I had a new door opened for me and low and behold, there was a whole new chapter of my life story opened up. I found out that my great grandparent had come to the United States from Germany to New York, then to Jacksonville, Florida.

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It’s Always Been The Library

By Katherine M. 

Had someone from the future told me I would one day work in libraries…I would have not been too surprised! As a child, I visited the Fairfield Public Library (CT) children’s department and loved their wooden climb-thru cubbies and the bright tiny furniture almost as much as I loved borrowing a new story book. I tried my best to memorize the words and pictures knowing the book would not be mine for long. What an impression it made, taking my book to the big desk and seeing the ladies stamp with gusto, giving me looks over the counter top that wordlessly conveyed the message: “take care of this book and you can come back for more”. As a tween, I continued to visit the Fairfield Public Library; I walked from Tomlinson Middle School every Friday after school with my best friend to study. Instead of studying, we tried our best to suppress our endless chatter and tweenage “joie de vivre” with our undone homework spread out on a carrel. I used a copy machine for the first time, and shyly asked a librarian to show me how to use the card catalog. I checked out every Stephen King and Danielle Steele book I could find. Twice.

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Barbies, Goddesses and Sudoku Puzzles: My Library Story

By Naomi B. 

I would never let Barbie stand in my way.

I kid you not, I was BORN to be a librarian. At the age of six, my two sisters and I had our favorite Barbies and it was time for them to take a vacation in their cigar box cars, but WAIT!!! I struck my first deal…I’d continue to play Barbies with them if they would play library with me first.

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Rediscovering Libraries

By Jim M.  While out of work, I decided to use my extra time to reconnect with my local library. It had been almost a decade since I set foot inside a library building. I have always been an avid reader and some of my fondest childhood memories are of times spent in the old-fashioned … Read more

Thanks Librarians

By William G. 

Every story has a beginning and mine began when my mother brought me to 4400 Forbes Avenue, Pittsburgh PA. There she introduced me to the librarian. Taking me by the hand she said, “So young man, you like books”, followed by some serious questions. “What would you like to be? Who would you like to know? Would you like to visit the past, see into the future, or perhaps fly on the wings of a dragon?

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Libraries Fill a Real Need

By Rebecca B.  I come to the Pinellas county library occasionally to print, use the internet, read kids magazines, and the free social activities. Because I am handicapped, I am able to use the Christian record services lending library to get special tapes for free and a Daytona beach lending library for the tapes and … Read more