The wonders of a library have never been lost upon me. They have always been these peaceful, yet exciting places. As a kid, my mom would get the local library to give us a longer loan time on the dozens of books we'd take on our long summer road trips. Libraries have often been photo ops, like these in Chicago and NYC. Of all the beautiful buildings in D.C., what's my favorite - the Library of Congress. And, though many would disagree, I think this may have been Benjamin Franklin's 
greatest contribution to our country - the postal system, electricity, bifocals - all great, but nothing compared to the first public lending library.So it was quite a surprise when I realized after living in Dallas for over 4 1/2 years, I didn't have a library card. In fact, the few times I'd been in a Dallas library branch were just to kill some time and if I read at all, I brought my own book. If you've seen "my library," you might understand when I say I have so many unread books of my own, so it leaves little time to read borrowed books.
A few weeks ago the drought came to an end. I own very few non-fiction books, so when I went to add The Greatest Generation to the current reading list, I decided to check out the library's copy rather than buying it (although it is a great book and well worth owning). Since then I've made several trips to the various branches close to work and church.
The reminder of the library's "joy" came from last week's visit - sitting in a comfy chair reading in a library full of other people doing the same. And even though I came in for one book, a few minutes of browsing had me leaving with four. Just as much fun as a trip to Barnes & Nobles, but a lot cheaper. So check out your local library - it is a great place!
4 comments:
Not only did I take that picture - but I recognize that sweat shirt! :)
And I appreciated that it was available! It is no wonder people think I'm a TTU grad :)
I love libraries! I've had a card in every place I've lived, including London and Cork. I'd always preferred my own books to borrowing from the library, but when I lived in London, I didn't have a choice. I was going through a book a week with all the reading I was doing on the Tube, and my wallet couldn't keep up.
I haven't owned a library card since I left my hometown to go to college, but I do love to read too! I remember as a child going to the library and my mom got special permission for me to take 10 at a time instead of the 3 allowed. We only went to town a couple of times a week so it just made more sense.
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