"The magic of libraries"

Post date: Feb 22, 2017 3:53:30 PM

"I was introduced to many memorable, even life-changing books during that time (The Stinky Cheese Man and The Last Unicorn come to mind), but I can’t emphasize enough the effect that just being given the permission to explore in the library had on me. No one told me which books I should read or check out. My grandpa never insisted that a book was “too young” or “too old” for me. He never referred to anything as a “girl book” or a “boy book.” I was just allowed to look, and to decide for myself what kinds of books were exciting, and which made me feel like I was understood. I even had my own library card, and that felt like a special kind of independence all on its own.

"That’s part of the magic of libraries, they are spaces that are more than the sum of their individual books. There, surrounding the books you know you’re looking for, are some that you’ve never heard of, but that are perfect for you. It’s a sense of possibility. Like there are hidden gems buried between covers, and pages, and maybe some dust. That’s the feeling I took with me into adulthood, and it’s the reason I still wander through library aisles, even when I have books at home. Even when I’m not looking for anything in particular."

From:

https://nerdybookclub.wordpress.com/2017/02/21/losing-and-finding-yourself-in-the-library-by-jessie-sima/