A book is the only place in which you can examine a fragile thought without breaking it, or explore an explosive idea without fear it will go off in your face. It is one of the few havens remaining where a man's mind can get both provocation and privacy.
~ Edward P. Morgan
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t’s National Library Week! I’m a little late with the notice, but there are still two days left to celebrate the awesomeness that is a library! Hat tip: Debbie Ridpath Ohi over at Inkygirl ~ where she has cute, ROTFL illustration to go with the theme.
When I was growing up, the library was a magical place, filled with adventure and excitement. The ladies that worked there [forever it seems!] knew our family very well. We always walked out with our arms full of books; they were skeptical that we could read them all within the allotted time we had them checked out.
I don’t remember how much my mother and my sisters read, but I certainly devoured my stack fairly quickly. Inevitably, though, we had to extend our time, and generally were still late returning our books. Oh the shame!
My local library introduced me to Nancy Drew, The Bobbsey Twins, The Boxcar Children, Trixie Belden, Sherlock Holmes, Miss Marple, and Hercule Poirot ~ notice a pattern here? Not to mention the classics: Treasure Island, Heidi, Swiss Family Robinson, Tale of Two Cities, Little Women, and of course, Little House on the Prairie.
Reading can be a huge mind opener and most people can’t afford to buy all the books that a lirbabry offers. We certainly could not have. But because of that library, I fell in love with books, and ultimately, with writing.
We don’t often think about it, but libraries really are guardians of knowledge and freedom. A people that can’t read are a people more susceptible to manipulation and deception. Today, we seem to have become a people that can read, but chooses not to. Even with the advent of e-books, people are reading less and less substantial, mind-expanding works, and settling for the crumbs of pulp fiction – the fast food of writing. Easy to swallow and oh so tasty ~ but a steady diet of that and eventually you’ll die of a heart attack, complications due to obesity and general lack of nutrition!
Nowadays, libraries don’t just stock books; they host educational events. Mine is hosting a series of events around organic farming and sustainable living. I’ll be attending as many of the talks and farmer panels as I can, so expect to hear more about that in the coming weeks. At eh MyLibrary site, you can find a library near you.
Step inside ~ an adventure awaits you somewhere among the stacks!
Oremus pro invicem,
~ Mikaela
When is the last time you visited your local library? What books did you check out?
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