Libraries

I love libraries!

When I was a kid the small town where we lived had a branch of the county library in what had previously been a bar. My father took me there to get my first library card when I was in First Grade.

After he died my mother had to get a job. Since I had severe asthma I couldn't climb the hill to our house, so every day after school I'd hang out at the library until my mother picked me up on her way home from work.

The librarian taught me the Dewey Decimal System and let me help her by shelving books. In return I always got to be the first kid to read the newest books for kids.

A few years ago the county where I now live considered selling the libraries to a private company. The entire community came out in protest, so they kept the free, public libraries.

Now the libraries use computers instead of cards to check books out, and file card catalogs are obsolete. Some people come to the library to use computers with internet access, and the main county library even has a 3D printer and classes in technology.

Things have changed a lot since I was a kid!

But little kids can still come to Story Time, and people are constantly coming in to check out or return the old fashioned, hard copy books they enjoy reading.

I hope libraries never go away.

Libraries

I couldn't exist without public libraries.

I probably own about 2000 books, but even if I re-read each one every year that wouldn't be nearly enough to get me through. And e-books don't thrill me, though I do read them once in a while.

I got my first library card in First Grade and will always remember my father walking me home afterwards in the dark.

Later, I had severe asthma and went to the library every day after school to wait for my mother to pick me up when she got off work. I loved spending all weekday afternoons there.

Of course in college I only used the University Library except during vacations, and seldom had time to read for pleasure.

But ever since I became a "grown-up" I've been back at my childhood addiction to reading and I love my local library.

A few years ago there was some discussion about privatizing our county libraries and the entire community came together to prevent that from happening. I'm so glad we succeeded!

Do you still use your public library? I hope so.

As my bumper sticker says, "Bookaholics Unite!"

Books, Books, Books

My house has lots of bookcases and books. Once I tried to count the number of books I own and gave up because the count would have taken hours to finish.

I have one big bookcase full of books written by authors I've met, usually at writers conferences.

I only keep books I intend to read again, but sometimes years go by before I reread one.

Where do all those books come from?

Some were gifts, including the ones I got for Christmases and birthdays as a kid. Others I bought at local bookstores, online, or directly from the people who wrote them. At times I've traded books with author friends and our area has a monthly free book swap where we donate books we don't want to keep, and take home as many as we want that other people have donated.

Of course I go to the local library every week and bring home five or six books to read. I usually check out Middle Grade books because I can finish one of those in an hour or so.

And, yes, I spend at least an hour a day reading, if not more.

In case you can't tell by now, I'm a bookaholic and have no intention of getting into recovery. I even had a bumper sticker made for my car that says, "Bookaholics Unite."

Books give me pleasure and teach me all sorts of things. One reason I became a writer is to give back some of the wonderful things books written by other people have given me.