April 8-14 is National Library Week. To think, I almost missed it!
Growing up, I loved books, loved to read, and absolutely loved our county library. I didn’t get to go very often since it was in the “big city” and trips there from the farm were limited.
When the opportunity arose to go to the library, I was elated. Walking in the big doors, everything about the library spoke to me. The orderly rows and shelves, the neatly arranged card catalog, the quiet and peaceful atmosphere along with the smell of books. That wonderful unique smell of old leather, well-turned pages, and dry ink was one I never tired of inhaling.
In grade school, we took a trip to the “big city” once a month or so on the bus and we often got to stop at the library. I would fill my backpack with books and have them all read by the next trip. Once I got my driver’s license, I could visit the library with more frequency and my first two years of college, I practically lived there.
At the time I moved away to finish my last two years of college, I think I knew every librarian, every book category, every single section of the library.
Libraries are a fabulous resource, a wonderful escape and a gift to the public that is often overlooked.
If you haven’t been in your public library for a while, go in and wander through neat rows of books, soak in the atmosphere and read a good book.
