It’s Never Too Late to go Back to the Library but…
I need to find the right library for me. I recently decided I want to get back in the habit of going to the library. Many Saturdays during my youth I went to my local library, coming home with a bookbag heavy with books. Playing outside or riding a bike was never my jam. I’ve always been more introverted. Books are my refuge. Like Francie Nolan in A Tree Grows in Brooklyn, it’s easy for me to get lost in a book.
The library is where I would occasionally do my homework after school. The library is where I could borrow books of all kinds, including the books I wasn’t allowed to read at home (don’t tell on me). Yes, I wasn’t supposed to read books meant for adults when I was in my early teens. But I found a way to do it anyway, because of the library. It might be different now, but when I was young librarians certainly weren’t questioning why a thirteen-year-old is reading Terry McMillan or Jackie Collins (I used to own a lot of her books).
Once college came around, I kind of faded away from the library—only going when I needed to research something for a paper. Instead, I started buying my own books. It’s not that I didn’t like the library, I just grew out of it as I got older.
Now in my 40s, things change again. I have a lot, like a lot of books, at home. My to-be-read pile is never-ending, which is a good problem to have. I do like to keep up with current books/reading trends. However, my finances are stretched pretty thin, so using extra money to buy books is not an option. I can think of no better time to go back to the library.
I had mixed results on my excursion to the library. The only time I can go is on Saturday. This particular Saturday was in the aftermath of a snowstorm. But I checked the county website to make sure my local branch was open—plus it didn’t snow that much (it was already melting). I opted to go two hours after opening, thinking surely the main branch would be open by 11am. Uhh, no. Ok maybe another branch is open. I drive a few miles and nope, not open until 12pm. Ok. I decided to sit in my car for an hour; parking spots were few and far between.
When it opened, I was like where are all the books? It was a two-story building that felt a little empty. The selection seemed small, but this was a smaller branch. The adult section had about six rows of books and I was just confused by how they were organized. It’s like those six rows started in the middle of the alphabet. Where were the authors with the last name starting with an “A”? I felt like this library wasn’t for me.
So, I opted to try the main branch again. It was after 12pm, and the main branch was a four-story building—surely they have a more robust selection of books. Yes, yes, the main branch was the better option. However, the organization of said selection was confusing. Again, like only fiction books M-Z. Where were the rest? The librarians in the adult section looked like they would rather be someplace else, so asking for help didn’t seem to be in the cards. The children’s/YA section was much livelier, lots of loud children, but also more helpful librarians.
In the end, I didn’t check out any books. I know e-books are an option, but I’m such a purist. I prefer a hardcopy. There are more libraries near me. These two just weren’t my jam. Another Saturday and I’ll try a different branch, hopefully coming out with an armful of books!
What Books I’m Loving Lately:
Spice Road by Maiya Ibrahim: A city steeped in magic. A secret spice when paired with a special tea awakens powers in those who consume it. A young girl who must save her brother from the clutches of an evil king, and work with a sworn enemy to do it. For the first book in a series, I thought this was well done. The pacing was just right and there was no “insta-love” –a trope I hate in any book. Now I have to wait until September for book two!
1000 Words: A Writer’s Guide to Staying Creative, Focused, and Productive All Year Round by Jami Attenberg: If you need inspiration for your writing journey, I highly recommend this book. There are so many gems, from so many writers. I made the rare decision to highlight passages throughout. Writing in a book is blasphemy to me, but occasionally I make an exception—either when a book is so long, I need to highlight passages so I can remember them, or like with this book there are so many nuggets of wisdom.
“You don’t need to reach a certain publishing threshold. So long as you put pen to paper or fingers to keyboard, you are a writer. And if you are a writer, you want to respect your craft the same way you respect the other important things in your life. Make time for your writing, whether it’s writing itself, reading, participating in the literary community, or anything else that contributes meaningfully to your creative life.” –Roxane Gay, pg. 36
Upcoming posts
Thursday: Lost recaps for episodes twenty-four and twenty-five
Monday: State of My Substack