WELCOME FEBRUARY!
February is National Library Lovers Month, a time to celebrate the amazing places libraries are and the wonderful things they do for us. Libraries are not just buildings full of books, they are also communities full of people who share a passion for reading, learning, and exploring. Libraries are where we can find information, inspiration, and entertainment. Libraries are where we can discover new worlds, new ideas, and new possibilities.
Public libraries are not your father’s library anymore. Walk in nowadays, and you will still find shelves of print books and magazines, but also games and puzzles. I am thrilled when a speaker/author comes to open our eyes to surprising insights, information, and a time of discussion and laughter with the audience. Check the library calendar for programming for kids and adults such as book clubs, craft classes, and even exercise for seniors!
I love libraries. They have always been a part of my life from the moment my mom took me to get my library card. Nowadays, I order eBooks and audiobooks through the library apps—Libby and Hoopla. It’s so easy to pick out a book and enjoy it for three weeks, but I usually return them early. I download audiobooks for GT (Gardener Ted) and me to listen to during long trips.
The summer before I entered eighth grade, my girlfriend, Diane, and I rode her pony bareback to the library. Yes, I lived in a small, rural town in Central Illinois. We traveled from her home on the edge of town and enjoyed searching the shelves for great reads. The return trip to her house was always exciting and dangerous. When Sandy the pony rounded the bend and spotted the barn, she galloped as fast as her old legs could carry her. No matter how loud Diane shouted Whoa! and pulled back the reins, the pony did not slow down. Sandy raced across the yard, sometimes under the clothes lines. We could have had our heads chopped off if we hadn’t ducked at the right moment. Thankfully her parents worked all day, so they didn’t see the near-fatal return home to the barn!
When my memoir was released in 2021, I was honored to be invited to speak at my hometown library. As I entered the front door of that beloved building, tears collected in my eyes when I climbed the worn wooden steps I had skipped up as a child. The familiar smell of ink, the books, and the scent of the floor polish floated in the air. The large wooden library desk in the center of the room was in the same place where I used to check out my bag of books to take home with me. Always thankful I could read those beloved books for free and come back for more. And the books are still free! The best bargain in every town!
You can imagine how very special it was for me to speak in front of friends I went to school with from first grade through high school. Nostalgia ruled for a fleeting three hours as we remembered stories from those years. You can believe I encouraged everyone to write their life stories because I am a life storytelling evangelist and spoke that evening about writing life stories.
So let’s celebrate our Libraries! They are free and open to everyone, regardless of age, background, or income and, they are funded by our taxes, donations, and grants.
I would like to thank the dedicated staff and volunteers who have helped me through the years with research and for suggesting good reads. Libraries are a public good, a common resource, and a civic treasure. They are a manifestation of our democracy, our freedom, and our humanity.
I hope you take some time to visit your library during this National Library Lovers Month and beyond. Fall in love with the books and opportunities a public library offers.
TIP: We take our libraries and the services our library provides for granted. I suggest you read The Book Woman of Trouble Creek and the Book Woman’s Daughter by Kim Michelle Richardson to learn about the Kentucky Pack Horse Library Project during the 1930s when ladies rode packhorses or mules to deliver books to families in the Appalachian Mountains. They faced danger from wild animals, flooded streams, and not-so-friendly residents as they rode through the treacherous back country paths determined to get the books in the hands of those whose horizons were widened by reading the precious pages.
Do you use your library? Have you read the Book Woman books? Please leave a comment below. Thank you.