A Love of Libraries #NationalLibraryWorkersDay

Happy Hump Day, SEers! Did you know that yesterday was National Library Workers Day? If you’re like most writers, libraries hold a special place in your heart.

When I was a kid, my parents used to take me to our local library every weekend. I’m the youngest of four siblings, and came later in life for my parents. By the time I was in first grade, they were in their mid-forties—past the point of going outside and playing ball  or chasing me around in a game of tag. As a result, they found quieter pursuits to share. My dad taught me to play chess when I was ten, and how to put ideas together to form stories. My mom shared books with me and passed on her love of reading. Both of my parents loved libraries, and we often spent Saturday afternoons camped out there.

As I got older, sometimes my mom and I would checkout the same books. I remember when we were both reading Thomas Tyrone’s The Other, followed by his Harvest Home and how we’d chat about them afterward. Even though my day toyed with writing fiction in his twenties, and was the one who taught me to paint pictures with words, he favored reading non-fiction (probably why I tend to be a sponge about learning new things).

Libraries have been part of my life since I was a kid, and remain a treasured part to this day. My husband retired three years ago, but after one year of doing home projects, decided to pick up a part time job. Since then he’s been working at our local library in a maintenance capacity—setting up rooms for the various programs, running conduit for computers—that sort of thing.

In another life I probably would have been a librarian if I hadn’t blundered into real estate at an extremely young age. I’ve learned so much through the things hubby has told me about how hard these amazing people work, and the effort they put into their programs. It’s made him respect them, too.

My local library is especially big on programs for children, but they offer a multitude of classes and workshops for adults. I’ve taken a Spanish course through them, several online college-level computer classes (free of charge), and have participated in writing meetings and author signings. In fact, I’m scheduled to be part of a local author festival the end of this month.

So today, I’m giving a shout-out to libraries, and especially, library workers. We all know how easy it is to Google something, but I still like to trek into the library every now and then, camp out in one of the study areas, and spend a few hours with my Mac. Of course, I always have to take a peek at the fiction and language section before leaving, too.

What about you? Do you have a love for libraries? Treasured memories from childhood when books were extra magical? My niece is a librarian (shout-out to Renee!), and I made the lead character in my upcoming release, Cusp of Night, a librarian. As writers, we owe special gratitude to these wonderful places for instilling a love of learning, reading, and books. If you know a librarian, give them a hug, and thank them for their hard work. Then talk libraries with me in the comments.  You don’t even have to whisper.