For the Love of Libraries and Books

Posted on April 7, 2019 by

18 Comments

Who knew there was a National Library Week? Well maybe you did, but it took the Sunday Still’s Challenge,  For the Love of Reading and Books, to bring this to my attention thus inspiring this post.

Why not celebrate the memories!  There was Mrs.Jones – my grade school librarian – reading to us as we gathered around her. Her whole face a smile, her eyes twinkling, she would pause after each page for effect and hold up the book for all to see the pictures.  Her voice was gentle especially as she neared the end of the story, when she smiled and closed the book as if it were something sacred in her hands.

Later mom would take us to the King County Library in White Center – it was small and nondescript  but who cared?   Here I found Ramona’s World by Beverly Cleary  and Pippi Longstocking by Astrid Lindgren – who didn’t envy her?   There was Charlotte’s Web by E.B. White, and the Little House books of Laura Ingalls Wilder and many others that transported me to new places and new friends that I wished I didn’t have to leave behind.

I still visit the libraries in the King Country Library System, including the one in downtown Renton where a river runs through it.  Well not really through it, but at least under it, where the Cedar River flows.

Outside its front doors you can watch the salmon spawn in the fall.

Inside any time of year you can sit and read your favorite book.

What’s not to like about that?

Do you have a favorite library?

~ Susanne

Category: Renton, Tales from our YouthTags: , , , , , , , ,

18 Comments on “For the Love of Libraries and Books”

  2. Wow! When I was in elementary school my dad was the school librarian! It was downstairs in what I guess would be a basement and it was always so cool getting to go down there. He used to cut bookmarks out of construction paper and we got to pick whichever color we wanted when we checked out our books. All the titles you mentioned bring back memories. I guess if it was now he would also have been the “IT” guy but back then it was AV (audio-visual) so he was in charge of checking out and repairing all the movie and filmstrip projectors and record players!Fun memories of the library!

    • Wow, how cool! That must have been so special! I appreciate how librarians instill their love of books into children!! thank you for sharing! 😊

  3. I practically lived at the library when I was a child. I don’t use the library as often as I used to but joining the local library is always one of the first things I do whenever I move home.

    • I buy most of the books I read. But it’s nice to have the library available and I often use it for reference materials. Thanks for your comment. 😊

  4. I loved the old Victorian library close to where I lived as a youngster. It had a huge section of child-friendly books, and I took out three every week. Despite many closures here now, we still have a vibrant local library in the nearest town, and it provides a point of focus for the community.
    No salmon-spawning though! 🙂
    Best wishes, Pete.

    • Fortunately we still have a strong library system here, with many new and updated libraries. It’s hard to beat one that includes spawning salmon. We may be the only one in the country to boast of that except maybe Alaska. thanks for your comment Pete 🙂

  5. I don’t have a favorite library but I did recently join the local library and I love it.

  6. My favorite as a kid was the Bookmobile which parked next to our grocery store once a week. I loved it.

  7. What a great library. Can’t beat the sound of running water and reading.

  9. We had a new downtown library built a few years ago. It looks like stacked books and is wonderful and now a gathering place. As coffee shop and small theatre. The library and books has always been my safe place.

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