Big bookworm, reporting for duty. I enjoy reading as much as I enjoy surfing the internet and writing for fun. As such, I grew up in libraries around the Riverbend region. And recently, I’ve rediscovered my love for these spaces, their resources, and the people who make them great spots to chill.
Let me back up. As the child of voracious readers, I spent a lot of time in the local library when I was very young. My parents would take me to the free events, the storytimes, the annual Summer Reading Program.
In turn, I would check out stacks of picture books and blow through them in a matter of days. I still have my first library card, with my name messily printed on the back in a child’s scrawl. Some of my best childhood memories involve reading.
As a pre-teen and teenager, I started volunteering with the local library. I was helping with the programs I used to attend as a child, reading books to toddlers for storytime or passing out snacks in the dog days of summer during the Summer Reading Program.
I even remember a couple of times when I was zipped up into a Clifford costume and sent out to the masses. Once, I was Pete the Cat. These days, as bizarre as they sound, were actually some of my favorites. The kids were so happy, and I was in charge of doling out hugs and waving and dancing around. It was silly but it was fun.
In college, the campus library was this utilitarian thing, a place I went to study. I rarely read for fun, too consumed with the textbooks I needed to comb through and the papers I had to write.
I still spent a lot of time in that space, and I was thankful for a spot where I could spread out and devote a few hours to getting things done. But the fun of the library was mostly in the past.
Until now, I’ve rediscovered my love for the local library.
You might remember that I recently built a bookshelf. This implies that I have books to put on said bookshelf, which I do; I’ve been steadily developing my book collection since college. But the other day, I still found myself with nothing to read.
What to do? I went back to my roots: the library.
Hayner Library deserves a big shoutout in this blog post, because I’ve spent a lot of time there over the past few months. The Illinois Heartland Library System allows you to order books from all over the state, which are then delivered to your home library (in my case, Hayner), where you can collect and return them. The people of Hayner are so kind, too. One of the librarians went above and beyond for me, heading into the back to check on a book I had ordered so that I didn’t have to make two trips. I’m always greeted with a smile and encouraged to come back, which, of course, I always do. It’s worth noting, though, that the library is a lot more than books. In this day and age, you can use their computers, browse databases, comb through magazines and reference books, and generally just enjoy your time in the space. I love a coffee shop as much as the next person, but those $8 lattes add up. At the library, there’s no cost to sit there for hours at a time and enjoy the free wifi, which I do. It’s not loitering at the library. It’s what they’re there for. When you check out a book, you get a receipt that tells you when the books are due. But it also has a note on the bottom, letting you know how much money you’ve saved by using the library instead of purchasing the books. I’m in the thousands at this point. As much as I love to support authors by purchasing their books — and I do when I can! — it’s a great benefit to have access to the library’s free materials. I really can’t gush over the library enough. I loooove the library. There’s no natural conclusion to this blog post except to say that I’ll be back, again and again. And if you haven’t been to the library for a while, give it a shot! Even if you aren’t a reader, there’s a lot to be discovered. We’re lucky to have such a space in our community.
