I love libraries!!!

"At the library you can find,
books of every shape and kind
At the library
Li-li-li-brary!"

Remember that song from Sesame Street? I love libraries. Some of my happiest moments have been spent deep in a quiet library surrounded by books.

When I was a little girl growing up in Perry Florida, I went weekly to the library. At first the library was in the old county jail where they used to hang criminals back in the 30' and 40's. One of the librarians showed me the hanging place. It was in the 2nd story in the back and it had a trap door. How cool that was to a little 7 year old! I loved the librarians. Mrs. Parker and Mrs. Woods- I still remember them fondly. Since I was such a voracious reader, and read out of the teen and adult rooms, they checked my books to make sure they were ok for a elementary aged girl! I always carried out 10-14 books for the week and still do. I know some of the librarians must wonder how I can read that many books with 3 boys! But I make do- I can always stay up late unless the books are really scary then I freak myself out up all alone!

When I was a little older, we broke ground for a new library. I say "we" because I was invited with all the dignitaries to shovel up some dirt. I think that was the first time my picture was in the newspaper. I was called "the littlest librarian" I still remember the dedication of the new library. I wore a long blue dress that I had worn as a flower girl in a wedding. It was exciting to be at that reception! The picture above is Mrs. Parker and me in the children/teen room at the dedication of the Perry Library maybe 1975 or so.

At Southeastern my favorite and longest job was working at the library. Again I loved the librarian, Bro. Crammar. He and his wife were like parents to me. He actually gave me away when we got married ( after we eloped, we had a ceremony for Jon's family). He recently died and I just bawled through the whole funeral. Everyone else was rather quiet and I was crying so much I was hiccuping. I tend to get very emotional at funerals! It was embarrassing but he was worth it! He was such a sweet and loving man.

For my SEC friends do you remember Miss Parrot?? Many stories could be written about her! SHHHHH!

Everywhere I have lived for more than a week, I've found the libraries. While we were raising our support to go to NYC, we stayed in a few "mission houses" in different states and the library was one of the first things I found! How can you live without one? I knew the Perry library, Lakeland library, Houna Path SC library, Falling Waters WV, Brooklyn library, Stanhope NJ library, Polk City Library and now all the Pasco Co libraries. I probably owe late fees at most of them!

I also like book stores. A hot night out for me and Jon includes going to the bookstore, any one of them...

We actually knew someone who had NEVER been to a bookstore! That was scary- he also never remembered going to a library. We took him to a bookstore one night and he actually enjoyed it, I think. But how sad, he was a grown man and didn't have a love for reading. I can't imagine. When I was in 3rd grade, I had to wear an eye patch to try and correct my "lazy" eye. I couldn't see well enough to read so my aunts would read to me, all the classics as well as the Bobbsey Twin mysteries. They love reading and it was just a part of life, like going to church. We all used to fight over the newspaper as who would get to read it first and that was when I was in elementary school! Now my boys have a love for reading too. Steve reads alot, thought he likes comic books the best. He is a fast reader like me. Shad loves books and sometimes sleeps with his Bible under his pillow just because he likes it so much. They see reading patterned out in front of them and they want to do it. I have to say I hate reading out loud to the kids and rarely do it. I read so fast that I can't stand to read out loud because that slows me down and is just weird to me. I can't follow the story line if I read out loud. Luckily Jon reads to them some. But they see it daily and they want to do it because they see us reading!

Well today Steve kept the little boys, as they were napping,for me to run to town. It was raining and dark, my favorite kind of weather and there I was all alone in the library , stocking up on mysteries...pure heaven!! It doesn't get much better than that! Now I going to go and curl up and start reading!