I learned to read at 3 years old, not that long after I learned to speak, in fact (weird off-topic trivia). From what I'm told, and what I can figure out from vague bits of memory, my parents read to me often. They were avid library-goers, and I always had a stack of my own. I can still remember picture books and books on tape which were particular favorites to check out.
One day when I was about four years old, I visited the library with my mother. I don't remember what I'd chosen, but I remember having to wait for Mom as she perused the stacks for her own selection. I suppose I must have been impatient. Regardless, as I gazed at the check-out counter from across the room it occurred to me that if I had a library card of my own, I could already have checked out my books. Not only that, but then they would truly be my library books. I turned to my mother and asked her how old one needed to be to get a library card.
I remember pretty firmly believing the answer must be something like 5, and I'd be too young. But hey, at least I'd made my interest known!
My mother had no idea. But you have to give this woman credit for not letting the grass grow under her feet. She walked me directly to the counter (now that I think of it, I don't even know if she'd finished choosing her books). Once we had the librarian's attention, she prompted me to ask my question. The librarian asked me if I wanted a library card, and how old I was. I told her. She then signed me right up, and I had a card to the Falls Church City Library.
Over the years, that library became another home to me. It's where my friends and I hung out after school. It's where I met some of my favorite characters, and explored worlds I've never forgotten. And it started me down a path of library love that has never faded.
I could reflect on all the times I've sought refuge in a library, from being a shy kid who took full advantage of the school library in kindergarten to spending classes writing and reading away homesickness while living in Ecuador. I could reflect on my unhappy times living in South Florida, seeking solace by finding as many local library branches as I could. But those are all their own stories, and they all amount to the same thing.
Libraries have always been and probably will always be my safe haven. I'm blessed to live in an area where I've never been more than a couple of miles from a branch. When the world gets too busy (and it does!), a half-hour walk through the stacks can reset me for the next few days. As an introvert in hectic extroverted job with a busy, extrovert husband and a small child, a moment alone can be a gift. When it's needed, I can feel that tether drawing me back to the peace of my local library.
