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Home Away From Home

January 13, 2017September 23, 2014

By Sarah S.

Growing up my parents were both avid library users. As time went on Mom started working full-time and couldn’t always pick us up after school everyday. We ended up walking to the local library and staying to close (our choice) whenever we went there. We each would find a corner to curl up with our homework and latest personal reading book. Mom would have to search the building for us if she wanted to leave any earlier than closing time.

In high school nothing changed in my love of the library, except for adding a new favorite library. During study hall I would race to be the first one in class so that I would be granted a library pass. It was my hour of bliss during the day; my sanctuary within the school grounds. I did all of my studying either at the town library or in this brand new high school library.

Fond Memories

September 19, 2016September 23, 2014

By Laurie O.

My earliest memories are growing up in Clifton Park, NY and walking to the (old) Shenendehowa Free Library down the street from my house. My great aunt was the library assistant and she had such love for BOOKS! She inspired me to go there often to participate in community activities and bring books home to read.

Expanding a Child’s Universe

September 19, 2016September 23, 2014

By Forrest M. Both of my children received their first library card when they turned 2. They have always had books around them be they picture, graphic novel, cartoon, chapter or a work of literature. Now that they are older, they constantly max out the number of books they can check out (50 at a … Read more

Where Do You Want to Go? A Book Can Take You

September 19, 2016September 23, 2014

By Vanessa M.

My parents were big believers in reading and its role in education – not just traditional education, but self-guided: the experiences, perspective, and communication advantages that come from being well-read. There were always stacks of books around the house. We took full advantage of our library – it would have been unaffordable to buy that many books each week.

My literary interests hopped around the world. At one point I was obsessed with the North Pole. Then Cambridge. Then India. The library always had books to take me where I wanted to go. We actually traveled as well, but many places I’ve only experienced through books. In college, I used medieval primary texts. I never would have had access to these outside of a library. It was simply amazing to smell, see, and feel a book that old.

Library Equals Liberty

September 19, 2016September 23, 2014

By Joel B. Growing up my only access to a wide variety of information was the library. Book reports, speeches and studying for final exams happened at the library. It’s a place where you know the environment is curated for learning, focus and exploration. Now being a father of two children going through school I … Read more

Libraries in My Life

September 19, 2016September 23, 2014

By Leslie T. When I was a child, my family had a biweekly ritual: We would all go to the library, where we spent hours looking for books on every subject-from the mainstream to the obscure. When we got home, we would each spend the rest of the day reading, sharing ideas or just phrases … Read more

A Second School and a Second Home

September 19, 2016September 23, 2014

By Alison B. For me, few things come as close to that new box of crayons feeling as walking into a library, and feeling yourself surrounded by books: old, new, big, small; books to devour and books to cling fast to, to come back to again and again with delight. My hometown library was a … Read more

Travel Began in the Library

September 19, 2016September 23, 2014

By Margaret B. When I was 5 years old, My Mother signed me up for a Library Card at the local branch of our Library system. At the time I though it was cool. It made me feel that I was part of a larger, older group of kids,…grade school kids. But I had no … Read more

Charlie Bucket and Me

September 19, 2016September 23, 2014

By Debbie P. I loved “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.” I read it over and over as a child, Checking it out from the public library, and when I was finished, I would check it out from my school library/bookmobile. Every Friday we would go to town, and while my mother was grocery shopping, I … Read more

High School Dropout to Lawyer: A Library Success Story

September 19, 2016September 23, 2014

By Carol S.

This is my father’s story: He was a high school dropout. Although he loved to read, he didn’t like school, so he would frequently ditch class and hide out at the Detroit Public Library, devouring books until the truant officer found him and dragged him back to school. Eventually he dropped out of school altogether in order to work. (This was during the Great Depression, and his family necessarily valued employment over education.)