My favorite library, among the many in my life, was my elementary school's library. Wide double doors opened upon a huge room fully lit with sunlight from tall windows on the east side. Rows of table, each with three chairs for students to sit and read, filled this spectacular space from one end to the other. Along the west side of the room and on each side of the double doors, shelves of books inset into the walls offered all kinds of books that we could choose. The librarian showed us how to pull out a book to one side of the book we wanted to look at so we knew where to put it back on the shelf. That pulled book was a marker, just like the one that kept our place in our chosen book. Once a week, we would walk in a line from the classroom to this library to spend a luxurious half hour or so, wandering the world within those millions of pages. How I miss that and wished it could have been given to my daughter in her school. Instead, we could order our own books from an offering a cheap, silly listings. Children were and are trained to accept what is allowed rather than what they can choose.
Oh my gosh, yes, Sue! I loved my elementary school and middle school libraries. My middle school librarian recognized me as a precocious reader, and he always had something new and fun for me to read. He definitely inspired me to pursue librarianship as a career.
And my high school library served as a fortress of knowledge, wonder, and safety in my tumultuous years.
Spectacular! Libraries are my corners of heaven, containing all I love with a side serving of ineffable peace & comfort. Small towns & cities tend to have the best ones. This transported me.
My favorite library, among the many in my life, was my elementary school's library. Wide double doors opened upon a huge room fully lit with sunlight from tall windows on the east side. Rows of table, each with three chairs for students to sit and read, filled this spectacular space from one end to the other. Along the west side of the room and on each side of the double doors, shelves of books inset into the walls offered all kinds of books that we could choose. The librarian showed us how to pull out a book to one side of the book we wanted to look at so we knew where to put it back on the shelf. That pulled book was a marker, just like the one that kept our place in our chosen book. Once a week, we would walk in a line from the classroom to this library to spend a luxurious half hour or so, wandering the world within those millions of pages. How I miss that and wished it could have been given to my daughter in her school. Instead, we could order our own books from an offering a cheap, silly listings. Children were and are trained to accept what is allowed rather than what they can choose.
Oh my gosh, yes, Sue! I loved my elementary school and middle school libraries. My middle school librarian recognized me as a precocious reader, and he always had something new and fun for me to read. He definitely inspired me to pursue librarianship as a career.
And my high school library served as a fortress of knowledge, wonder, and safety in my tumultuous years.
wonderful!
Another home run, my friend!
Spectacular! Libraries are my corners of heaven, containing all I love with a side serving of ineffable peace & comfort. Small towns & cities tend to have the best ones. This transported me.
Thank you so much, Ellen!
There's nothing quite like a library and that old book smell to make me feel at home.
Same here. It is pure coziness...& it's free.