Whether you usually read off of your own book pile or from the library shelves NOW, chances are you started off with trips to the library. (There’s no way my parents could otherwise have kept up with my book habit when I was 10.) So … What is your earliest memory of a library? Who took you? Do you have you any funny/odd memories of the library?
Ooh I love this question! I think my earliest memory is getting yelled at for speaking inside of the library. So I'll share a favorite memory. It must have been the summer after or before 5th grade (This was around the same time I started my "Books Read" list it's up to 633 books). My mother showed me how to request library books via the computer. I'd log on using our old modem and sit there requesting book after book. This must have been the early 90s, I remember the program was so ancient you couldn't use a mouse, only the keyboard. There were various letter short cuts to surf around the program. I just loved requested books. I couldn't stay on too long though because no one could use the phone!
Once a good number of books were ready for pick up me and my mom (and probably my little sister) would go to the library. I remember riding home admiring all the books I had gotten, deciding what I wanted to read first. Our library's limit must be very high, because I believe sometime in junior high I had many more than 50 books checked out at the same time. I guess you could say I like books!
Another thing I like about our library is up until recently there were no late fines. We still don't really have them. What we have now is a processing fee of maybe 5 dollars if your item is like 6 weeks overdue AKA Lost. Haven't had to pay it yet.
These days I try not to go to the library so I can read my own books in my TBR pile. But what has ended up happening is I'm buying books I could very well just get from the library but since I've told myself no library books I just end up buying more so I can read them sooner. Hopefully once I get myself under control, and get my TBR pile under control I can go back to checking out library books and not feel guilty for reading them when I have books of my own to read.
What's your favorite childhood library memory?
You are the definition of an avid reader. Me too!
ReplyDeleteMy earliest memory of the library is my mom taking me to check out How a Book is Made by Aliki. We repeated this process, with this book, MANY times.
ReplyDeleteI am in the same situation you are now. I love libraries, but I haven't gone in a long while because I'm trying to focus on my TBR books. I keep telling myself that as soon as I get my TBR collection under control, I will start using the library more. Of course, that would mean not adding to the TBR collection, wouldn't it?
ReplyDeletesmilingsal- Yay!
ReplyDeletecharley- Aww that sounds like a great memory!
literary feline- Yeah it's horribly tough. I still pop into the library from time to time and check out their book sale rake, it's horrible!!!!!
I remember going in first grade - I can't remember much earlier than that - and picking out everything by Tomie dePaola, Nancy Carlson (MN writer!) and James Marshall.
ReplyDeleteMy first grade teacher read to us so much and those were some of her favorite authors. I really credit her with my loving to read, and making lots of trips to the library.
A- Aww what a great memory! Did you have the scholastic book fairs in elementary school, those were like mind blowing to me!
ReplyDelete