I love the library. I've spent my life in different libraries. As a child it was the Bethesda Public Library. That's where my love of children's books began. Every year I eagerly waited for summer reading to begin. Back then we would gather in a room and listen to how the program would work that year. I can so clearly remember my excitement to start my list of books, and to get my free cheeseburgers as prizes. I was a McDonald's fan back then too. Some things never change.
The littles and I visit two branches regularly. The Parkville Branch, which we've gone to since we moved here nearly 7 years ago and where pretty much everybody knows us and has seen both the birth of Sable and Oz. And, in the last year we've started also going to the Boardwalk branch. Mainly for their weekly homeschool program. It's been great and we've met some wonderful librarians there.
This week the Boardwalk branch held a summer reading kick-off and it was so much fun. When somebody hands you tickets for free popcorn and cotton candy bigger than your head, you know you're in the right place.
As a pre-teen I was my middle school librarian's "teacher's pet". No joke. In the morning at my middle school you could either wait outside, wait in the cafeteria, or wait in the library for school to start. Outside was cold or hot and the cafeteria stunk, so the library was the place to be. The library could only hold a certain number of students and it filled up fast. My bus always got there by the time it had filled and the door was locked. But all I had to do was knock, the librarian would peek out, see me, and let me in. Why did I get such preference? Well in middle school I fractured my wrist playing football with my family. So that got me out of gym and a pass to the library. I was there everyday for weeks and I spent the time reading and making friends with the head librarian, Mr. Douglas. He was a very shy and nice person. I was too. I think he saw that I was different from a lot of other students. Once I'd healed and was back to gym, he still let me in every morning. I'd grab the current book I was reading off the shelf and head to my favorite spot to read before school.
In high school my library became the place where I would not only read, but debate with fellow students. Growing up in Maryland, right outside of DC in a very culturally diverse area led to a lot of political and social discussions. Not for any class or debate team, but just because we liked to. Friendships weren't lost because of differing opinions, but strengthened because we understood each other better. I learned how to make a good argument in that library. And the idea that just because you're debating, it doesn't mean you're fighting.
When I went off to college, the BYU library became my second home. In between classes, and sometimes even in place of them, I headed to the library. Not only was I surrounded by books, my favorite way to exist, but there was also a media center with individual tv sets in private carrels. For a while I didn't have any tv at my apartment and I would watch old reruns of "Doogie Howser MD". But many times I would just sit. Sit and read, sit and study, sit and think - or not - of anything at all. Which in my opinion is actually a good thing to do sometimes. The not thinking part I mean.
Those who know me well know that I have a real dislike of e-readers. Really, I can't stand them. I fear them. I fear they will replace hard copy books, and I fear what they will do to my libraries. That they will disappear and somehow I'll disappear too if they do. Like my identity is wrapped up and in these special places.
For now, I'll continue to take my littles to the library as often as we can get there. They'll grow up with it for as long as possible, hopefully for the rest of their lives. And maybe one day I'll be a librarian myself. Dream come true. Again, no joke.
