Books have always been an important part of my life. As a little girl, my parents and grandparents read to me. Remember the Little Golden Books? The Poky Little Puppy is one that comes to mind – I remember the cover, but not the story. And then there were Dr. Seuss books, and Winnie the Pooh. Timeless stories I also read to my kids when they were little, and will probably read to my grandchildren some day.Weekly Readers and Scholastic book order forms were a staple of elementary school life, and I started building my own library. I loved reading true or fictional stories about animals, especially books about horses. James Herriot (All Things Bright and Beautiful), Walter Farley (The Black Stallion), and Marguerite Henry (Misty of Chincoteague) were some of my favorite authors, and I still have some of their books on my shelves today.
Library cards were an important key to life, for they allowed me access to more books through the school libraries, public libraries, and bookmobiles. I could spend hours perusing the shelves, looking for just the right books to check out. I could try a new genre and if I didn’t like it, I simply returned it to the library. Books fed my hunger for knowledge, and for adventure. But the library is also where I discovered poetry and history, biographies and romance novels.
Today, in addition to brick and mortar libraries we have virtual libraries. E-readers hold hundreds, if not thousands, of books at one time. They enable us to travel with our books, without taking up too much space. They enable us to have references at hand, as well as to access additional books online at any given time.
This year, the American Library Association hosts National Library Week April 13-19 with author Judy Blume – another favorite childhood author – as the Honorary Chair. “Lives change @ your library” is the theme for 2014.
Has a library or librarian had a positive impact on your life? Please take time to share your story and raise public awareness of the value books can have on our lives.
.png)
5 comments:
Wonderful post!
I remember the "bookmobile" coming to our neighborhood. It was magical, the books came to MY neighborhood. When I was little I thought that would be the best job ever. Instead I work in a tech services unit in a library. Not nearly as fun as driving the bookmobile around:)
Rebecca
Nice post! I have warm fuzzy feelings about Golden Books. I loved Pokey Little Puppy, or was it Sleepy Little Puppy...maybe both. Later, one of my favorite books was something about a girl and a wolf, can't remember the title. One of my favorite places used to be the library. That was way before Starbucks.
Rebecca, I agree - the bookmobile seemed magical when it came around! I loved visiting, even though the selection wasn't near what I could find in the actual library! And Lynn, I have some of our Little Golden Books still. I got them from my grandmother and I'm keeping them for my (someday) grandchildren!
It's all because of a school librarian that I fell in love with books so long ago. Her voice was sweet, soft, and soothing, and she read to us with enthusiasm. I began to fall in love with books and the adventures and characters I met within their pages. It's because of a school librarian that I dare to dream and write books of my own.
What a wonderful experience, Arsoleen. Librarians have so much power. I wish they were all like yours - sharing their love of books in such a positive way. Thanks for sharing!
Post a Comment