I remember waiting excitedly for the bookmobile to come by while we were living in Hawaii. Not quite the same as a brick-and-mortar building, but a treat nevertheless.
And I worked at the Cal State Long Beach library for awhile. You know those cards in the old card catalog files? Yup, some of that is my work!
But what I especially liked about libraries were the possibilities. You could go in and look up anything. If you couldn’t find it, the reference librarian certainly could (bless them).
Because we moved so much during my first 18 years, a library was a place I could go and not stand out as the new kid in school, where I could read and be quiet and go unnoticed. They were a safe haven.
So here’s to libraries, librarians, and all the possibilities they have given us, and continue to give.
“We read to know we’re not alone. We read because we are alone. We read and we are not alone. We are not alone.” — Gabrielle Zevin, The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry
©Carol Leigh
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