I grew up in Massachusetts, and loved our local public library. I could ride to in on my bike. I became a librarian in the late 1960's, and had a 35 year career employed by the Department of the Interior (National Park Service and Fish and Wildlife Service. I considered myself an information broker.
When I was a teenager I took the bus downtown in Milwaukee for a public-school-paid violin lesson. Afterwards I walked down the street to the main library. There was a youth section librarian who was very good to me. She suggested books to read, recruited me for the library’s local television show aimed at teenagers, and eventually helped me get a job at the library in the “gap semester” and summer I took before college. I wish I could remember her name, but that was 65 years ago. She was a real influence on my reading and on my love of libraries
Thank you for bringing back so many wonderful memories with this post! Growing up in New Orleans in the 70’s, my sisters and I would eagerly await the monthly visits of the bookmobile! I didn’t have many friends growing up, at least not flesh-and-blood friends. All my friends lived within the covers of the books I read. We had amazing adventures together. Now that I’m a grandma, I love finding well-loved versions of the books I grew up with to give my grandkids. I recently acquired a first edition of one of Margery Flack’s Angus the Dog books. As always, I immediately opened it and smelled the pages. It had been on the bookmobile! I hadn’t smelled that smell in nearly 50 years but suddenly I was back in the bookmobile, looking for all the horse books. What a blessing it is that we can relive those joyous days of our youth simply by opening a book 😭❤️🙏
I, too, loved the bookmobile that visited our rural Maine elementary school once a month. Our tiny school had no library and I eagerly checked out as many books as we were permitted…two I believe! Our little town of Mercer had the Shaw Library, open on Saturday summer afternoons only, we begged our mother to take us each week to stalk up on Nancy Drew (my little sister’s choice) and Cherry Ames (my favorites) books. I kept a list of all the titles and checked them off as I read them. Eventually as a teenager I volunteered as the assistant for the summer arts and crafts program. Now as a retired teacher I volunteer at the Southwest Harbor Public Library shelving books in the children’s room; it’s like a weekly visit with old friends. 💜
Thank you for this post and how it stimulated my memories. My next door neighbor, Muriel Thomas, was the librarian in the Carnegie Library in our small Vermont milltown. When I was in middle/high school, she graciously tolerated my friends and I hanging out after school at the adult library where we ostensibly did homework but usually loudly chatted and hunted the stacks for books mentioning sex. From that time forward (65+ years), libraries and bookstores have been the safe space I to which I flee whenever troubled or overwhelmed. She always gave me a hard cover book each Christmas which led me to a lifetime of collecting treasured books. Thank you Muriel Thomas for your faithful service to me and the community I grew up in.
Hay bales, have you ever seen snow rolls? May have the name wrong? In northern Indiana one time on my route, in the fields I saw all these, they were all different sizes, some hollowed out more than others. On flat land if the wind, and environmental conditions are just right , created these randomly through fields. At first I thought some kids were being very artsy, then I saw no footprints... I have pictures some where I think . But Definitely was cool as heck
wow that sounds amazing!! I'd love to see photos. if you put them online and send a link i'd love to see it. I wish substack allowed images in comment posts. I've suggested that...but right now we can only put links in the comments
When I was in high school, I had a guidance counselor whose best friend was the Assistant Librarian at our town’s public library and that fact changed my life. The counselor figured out that unless I started working the day I turned sixteen, I wasn’t going to college. She arranged for me to have a job interview with her friend, Mrs. Traub. I worked two hours after school on weekdays and all day on Saturdays and I went to a fine public university in Ohio. Later I worked in that university’s library and at the library’s small branch in the university town during the summers. After majoring in Art and minoring in English, my first job after college was in a Chicago library!
Thank you Cherry, What a powerful story. An amazing guidance counselor and Mrs. Traub! a deep bow of appreciation to them both. Yes, it sounded like they saw something shining in you....and helped you see it too. FYI....My daughter's high school job was at the Monroe Public Library and later she worked at other libraries. Such a wonderful place for her to spend time as a teen. I was very grateful to all the amazing mentors she had there.
I was a shy only child who grew up in the woods outside a small New England town. I was a voracious, omnivorous reader; books were my refuge. I loved our little local library and when I was still middle school age had read everything—I do mean everything—in the children’s room. So my mother convinced the librarians to give me the freedom to browse and take out any books from anywhere in the whole library. That was more than 65 years ago, and I still can still wander through that library in my mind. It’s one of my happiest early memories. Thank you, Manchester-by-the-Sea librarians!
I second that....Thank you and a deep bow of gratitude to all the Manchester-by-the-Sea librarians! I love that they noticed you'd read everything you could in the children's section and let you explore the world of books and stories and ideas in the grown up section. it seems we both remember remember and hold dear those amazing life-changing places and people with great love and appreciation. Thank you for the lovely post Cindy.
Going into the town library in central Connecticut in the summer to pick out books about animals is one of my favorite summer memories. Then I'd slowly read them in the hammock under the willow tree in the back yard! And my first job was at that very same library, adding barcodes to books and entering the information about each one into the computer to create the library's electronic checkout system! I do miss the card catalogs though!
I give away my age when I say I miss card catalogs too. I actually found an antique shop a table top card catalog - it was a beauty and I gave it is as a holiday gift to one of my very favorite librarians! I love the image of you under the willow tree in a hammock reading your library books...such a dear memory. thanks for posting my friend.
Watership Down. Eternally relevant with fresh nuances every time I read it. It’s funny how the same well worn words and phrases can change shape and meaning in the context of the times.
I have always loved books. Even now there is nothing like holding a book..the feel, the smell, the excitement of reading it. When I was in high school I volunteered to work in the library. It was my favorite volunteer activity. It was an odd one for me because I love to talk and I think on every report card it always said "Robin enjoys talking". But I loved being around the quiet and all the wonderful books that opened up a whole world to me. Growing up in a small town the library gave me that gift. In the library I discovered a book on Clara Barton and from that point on I knew I wanted to do something in the medical profession. From reading travel books I knew I wanted to see more of the world. After reading one of my all time favorite books, "To Kill A Mockingbird" I discovered that things are much more complicated in this world than I knew in my little world. So I am giving a shout out to Mrs. Weed, the librarian who encouraged this talkative young girl to give it a try and work in the library. A blessing I still appreciate and remember. Thank you Carrie..once again you gave me memories I haven't thought about in quite a while and for putting a smile on my face as I remembered.
Along the road to our place is a field of round hay bales. Coming home not ten minutes ago, the three of us all exclaimed the living effect they have on us.❤️
I so Love Libraries. The book smell, the quiet that just feels like a hug. Just read "The Library Book" by Susan Orlean. Beautiful honoring of Libraries as well as history of the Los Angeles Central Library.
Her name was Bernice. She worked at the McCullough branch of the Evansville City Library. She recommended the “three boys” series (the first of which I still remember was “three boys and a lighthouse”). She pointed me to biographies of famous Americans written for children.
My son‘s first job was as a page at the Nashua Public library. It was like daycare for a teen! They were so good to him, and for him.
Now my youngest child is an adult acquisition librarian in the St. Louis library system. I just shared your post with her and told her I am proud of her.
Ahhhh, I’m so touched you shared it. Bless Bernice and the McCullough branch. Bless the author of the tree boys series. Bless you for supporting your children as they discovered libraries and the beauty of books and ideas and life long learning!
Like your grandfather, my father had to quit school during the depression at eighth grade, but he and my mother both were avid readers. They even read novels together side-by-side, and the first little town that we lived in in Iowa right after the war had very small library upstairs above the sweet shop One Summer I read every book that children were allowed to read in that library. That’s where I was introduced to Nancy Drew, the Hardy boys and Cherry Ames student nurse, but I read everything that was available whether it was fiction or nonfiction. And the library was unbendable about letting me read anything in the adult section.
Oh Sharon, What a wonderful story and remembrance/. What a gift your parents gave you…the beauty of learning and the pleasure of a good book. Thanks for posting.
I grew up in Massachusetts, and loved our local public library. I could ride to in on my bike. I became a librarian in the late 1960's, and had a 35 year career employed by the Department of the Interior (National Park Service and Fish and Wildlife Service. I considered myself an information broker.
When I was a teenager I took the bus downtown in Milwaukee for a public-school-paid violin lesson. Afterwards I walked down the street to the main library. There was a youth section librarian who was very good to me. She suggested books to read, recruited me for the library’s local television show aimed at teenagers, and eventually helped me get a job at the library in the “gap semester” and summer I took before college. I wish I could remember her name, but that was 65 years ago. She was a real influence on my reading and on my love of libraries
Thank you for bringing back so many wonderful memories with this post! Growing up in New Orleans in the 70’s, my sisters and I would eagerly await the monthly visits of the bookmobile! I didn’t have many friends growing up, at least not flesh-and-blood friends. All my friends lived within the covers of the books I read. We had amazing adventures together. Now that I’m a grandma, I love finding well-loved versions of the books I grew up with to give my grandkids. I recently acquired a first edition of one of Margery Flack’s Angus the Dog books. As always, I immediately opened it and smelled the pages. It had been on the bookmobile! I hadn’t smelled that smell in nearly 50 years but suddenly I was back in the bookmobile, looking for all the horse books. What a blessing it is that we can relive those joyous days of our youth simply by opening a book 😭❤️🙏
I, too, loved the bookmobile that visited our rural Maine elementary school once a month. Our tiny school had no library and I eagerly checked out as many books as we were permitted…two I believe! Our little town of Mercer had the Shaw Library, open on Saturday summer afternoons only, we begged our mother to take us each week to stalk up on Nancy Drew (my little sister’s choice) and Cherry Ames (my favorites) books. I kept a list of all the titles and checked them off as I read them. Eventually as a teenager I volunteered as the assistant for the summer arts and crafts program. Now as a retired teacher I volunteer at the Southwest Harbor Public Library shelving books in the children’s room; it’s like a weekly visit with old friends. 💜
I wish some of our tech billionaires would emulate Andrew Carnegie and donate massive funds to community libraries in need.
Thank you for this post and how it stimulated my memories. My next door neighbor, Muriel Thomas, was the librarian in the Carnegie Library in our small Vermont milltown. When I was in middle/high school, she graciously tolerated my friends and I hanging out after school at the adult library where we ostensibly did homework but usually loudly chatted and hunted the stacks for books mentioning sex. From that time forward (65+ years), libraries and bookstores have been the safe space I to which I flee whenever troubled or overwhelmed. She always gave me a hard cover book each Christmas which led me to a lifetime of collecting treasured books. Thank you Muriel Thomas for your faithful service to me and the community I grew up in.
Hay bales, have you ever seen snow rolls? May have the name wrong? In northern Indiana one time on my route, in the fields I saw all these, they were all different sizes, some hollowed out more than others. On flat land if the wind, and environmental conditions are just right , created these randomly through fields. At first I thought some kids were being very artsy, then I saw no footprints... I have pictures some where I think . But Definitely was cool as heck
wow that sounds amazing!! I'd love to see photos. if you put them online and send a link i'd love to see it. I wish substack allowed images in comment posts. I've suggested that...but right now we can only put links in the comments
https://brisray.com/th/tsroll1.htm
Thank you , Google that perhaps?
I'll go down the rabbit hole of my old photos , when took actual film shots etc....
I may end up going nuts looking but it will be interesting. Stay cool in this tropical weather. ☮️🐧
I put link fro terre haute paper , as good as the pictures I took , still hope to find mine🐧☮️
When I was in high school, I had a guidance counselor whose best friend was the Assistant Librarian at our town’s public library and that fact changed my life. The counselor figured out that unless I started working the day I turned sixteen, I wasn’t going to college. She arranged for me to have a job interview with her friend, Mrs. Traub. I worked two hours after school on weekdays and all day on Saturdays and I went to a fine public university in Ohio. Later I worked in that university’s library and at the library’s small branch in the university town during the summers. After majoring in Art and minoring in English, my first job after college was in a Chicago library!
I owe so much to librarians and their friends!
Cherry M.,
Bryan, TX
Thank you Cherry, What a powerful story. An amazing guidance counselor and Mrs. Traub! a deep bow of appreciation to them both. Yes, it sounded like they saw something shining in you....and helped you see it too. FYI....My daughter's high school job was at the Monroe Public Library and later she worked at other libraries. Such a wonderful place for her to spend time as a teen. I was very grateful to all the amazing mentors she had there.
I was a shy only child who grew up in the woods outside a small New England town. I was a voracious, omnivorous reader; books were my refuge. I loved our little local library and when I was still middle school age had read everything—I do mean everything—in the children’s room. So my mother convinced the librarians to give me the freedom to browse and take out any books from anywhere in the whole library. That was more than 65 years ago, and I still can still wander through that library in my mind. It’s one of my happiest early memories. Thank you, Manchester-by-the-Sea librarians!
I second that....Thank you and a deep bow of gratitude to all the Manchester-by-the-Sea librarians! I love that they noticed you'd read everything you could in the children's section and let you explore the world of books and stories and ideas in the grown up section. it seems we both remember remember and hold dear those amazing life-changing places and people with great love and appreciation. Thank you for the lovely post Cindy.
Going into the town library in central Connecticut in the summer to pick out books about animals is one of my favorite summer memories. Then I'd slowly read them in the hammock under the willow tree in the back yard! And my first job was at that very same library, adding barcodes to books and entering the information about each one into the computer to create the library's electronic checkout system! I do miss the card catalogs though!
I give away my age when I say I miss card catalogs too. I actually found an antique shop a table top card catalog - it was a beauty and I gave it is as a holiday gift to one of my very favorite librarians! I love the image of you under the willow tree in a hammock reading your library books...such a dear memory. thanks for posting my friend.
Watership Down. Eternally relevant with fresh nuances every time I read it. It’s funny how the same well worn words and phrases can change shape and meaning in the context of the times.
I have always loved books. Even now there is nothing like holding a book..the feel, the smell, the excitement of reading it. When I was in high school I volunteered to work in the library. It was my favorite volunteer activity. It was an odd one for me because I love to talk and I think on every report card it always said "Robin enjoys talking". But I loved being around the quiet and all the wonderful books that opened up a whole world to me. Growing up in a small town the library gave me that gift. In the library I discovered a book on Clara Barton and from that point on I knew I wanted to do something in the medical profession. From reading travel books I knew I wanted to see more of the world. After reading one of my all time favorite books, "To Kill A Mockingbird" I discovered that things are much more complicated in this world than I knew in my little world. So I am giving a shout out to Mrs. Weed, the librarian who encouraged this talkative young girl to give it a try and work in the library. A blessing I still appreciate and remember. Thank you Carrie..once again you gave me memories I haven't thought about in quite a while and for putting a smile on my face as I remembered.
We join you in solidarity.
Along the road to our place is a field of round hay bales. Coming home not ten minutes ago, the three of us all exclaimed the living effect they have on us.❤️
Thank you Jack! I always think the those rolled bales of hay look like wonderful gentle animals. I love how they look in the evening light.
I so Love Libraries. The book smell, the quiet that just feels like a hug. Just read "The Library Book" by Susan Orlean. Beautiful honoring of Libraries as well as history of the Los Angeles Central Library.
Her name was Bernice. She worked at the McCullough branch of the Evansville City Library. She recommended the “three boys” series (the first of which I still remember was “three boys and a lighthouse”). She pointed me to biographies of famous Americans written for children.
My son‘s first job was as a page at the Nashua Public library. It was like daycare for a teen! They were so good to him, and for him.
Now my youngest child is an adult acquisition librarian in the St. Louis library system. I just shared your post with her and told her I am proud of her.
Thank you, Carrie, for this post
Ahhhh, I’m so touched you shared it. Bless Bernice and the McCullough branch. Bless the author of the tree boys series. Bless you for supporting your children as they discovered libraries and the beauty of books and ideas and life long learning!
Like your grandfather, my father had to quit school during the depression at eighth grade, but he and my mother both were avid readers. They even read novels together side-by-side, and the first little town that we lived in in Iowa right after the war had very small library upstairs above the sweet shop One Summer I read every book that children were allowed to read in that library. That’s where I was introduced to Nancy Drew, the Hardy boys and Cherry Ames student nurse, but I read everything that was available whether it was fiction or nonfiction. And the library was unbendable about letting me read anything in the adult section.
Oh Sharon, What a wonderful story and remembrance/. What a gift your parents gave you…the beauty of learning and the pleasure of a good book. Thanks for posting.