This week’s Booking Through Thursday asks:
What is your earliest memory of a library? Who took you? Do you have you any funny/odd memories of the library?
My earliest memory of a library would be attending a reading program / puppet show for children featuring Buffy the Bookworm, a brightly colored worm-ish puppet wearing glasses. I would attend with my friend Kristen; her mom and my mom would take turns taking us.
I distinctly remember obtaining my first library card. The only requirement for such a privilege was to be able to write your own name. It was large by library card standards, close to the size of an index card and of similar card stock. It didn’t take long for my card to become wrinkled and bent with use!
In fact, some of my favorite memories growing up were trips to the library, usually on Sunday afternoons. I would climb the stairs to the children’s section with great excitement and anticipation. I would walk slowly up and down the aisles, perusing the titles, finally, painstakingly, choosing only six which was the maximum number allowed. I would carry my selections proudly to the desk to check them out, on my personal library card of course. Once home, I would delve in, usually completing all six titles before our next trip.
As far as funny or odd memories, no doubt they would pertain to me taking my own children to our local library! When the boys were younger, we were frequent library patrons, each of us carrying our own book bag, me trying to remember exactly how many books we had checked out to verify we were indeed returning all books borrowed. Here was our deal: we would first go to the children’s section where the boys would load up their bags with their selections. Once they were done, we would head to the grown up section where they would sit quietly on a sofa (QUIETLY! DO YOU HEAR ME? QUIETLY! MOMMY WANTS TO LOOK FOR BOOKS TOO!) while I made my selections. Usually this worked. Usually, I said.
We loved going to the library. In fact, when my youngest was much smaller I had to alter our route so as not to drive past the library if we weren’t planning on stopping. If he ever saw the building, he would throw a “fit” to go!
What about you? Any fond or funny memories of the library? Check out others’ memories of the library at Booking Through Thursday.
Wife and mother, Bible teacher and blogger, Lisa loves Jesus, coffee, dark chocolate and, of course, books. Read more of her reflections at Lisa writes….
Neat question! I wish I could remember!
I wanted to point you to a book review on my blog. Just click my name! 🙂
Oh I LOVED the library as a kid! Still do, although I tend to buy more. I used to check out as many books as they would let me and take them home and inhale them. In junior high I worked in the church library. Pure delight!
My fun memory of one of the special author visits to the public library was winning a book about weird animals A-Z by saying the alphabet backwards. I decided that was a pretty good little talent, and now I’ve got it down to 5 seconds!
I have good childhood memories too. Come visit.
How fun! I loved the library – still do! I put my answers up on my blog.
That is cute about your youngest knowing when you would pass the library.
Love the memories of taking your kids. I had to laugh because I’ve driven around the library so as to avoid a request to stop as well.
I remember my school library, but I don’t remember going to our county library much until I was in high school using it for research.
I loved going to the library as a kid (and still do with my boys). Our downtown public library had a large children’s section where we could read books or play Connect 4. I remember reading Curious George books, which my 8-year-old now enjoys. As we got older, my brother and I would bike or ride the bus downtown and visit the library. Fun times!
I loved puppet shows. My middle brother used to organise those for us.
Library memories
We lived just down the street from the public library and were always riding down there on our bikes to pick out books. I read every single Nancy Drew and Hardy Boys book they had.
Also, my mom volunteered in our church library, so we were there all the time. I think I read most of that library during the years we lived in that town and attended that church. When the church expanded, and the library was given larger quarters, my siblings and I were part of the brigade that carted box after box of books to the new location. I just loved that library.
Great memories! I too remember getting my first library card. My mom would take us once a week during the summer time. Now that’s what I do with my daughter.
If my Dad never took me to the library, I don’t think my love for reading would have developed like it did. Now, since his passing, I hold all of those trips dear to my heart. I’m passing those on to my son now.
My daughter loves the library too. She’s almost four. When we go, I always look up titles online first, then we go straight to pick up “the mommy books”. After I have a few in hand, we go to the children’s section and spend as much time as she wants (usually). She can’t wait to be old enough to “read the mommy books”!