Call me mushy and sentimental, but instead of reading I am welling up over the story of Dewey Readmore Books on CBS Sunday Morning News. A book about this famous library cat and how he helped pull an Iowa community together has just been published. I'm not a cat fancier so I doubt that I will read the book, but I love the picture of the library as a homey place where neighbors and friends can gather.In our area, library hours have been cut to the point where it is inconvenient for me to visit. I usually reserve my books online and then my husband goes once a week to pick them up. No more browsing through the shelves until I'm dizzy. No more sitting in the magazine area and flipping through magazines like Ms. and Utne Reader. I miss those days.
Hopefully my kids will develop a love for the library as I did as a child. The three younger ones will be going to middle school within walking distance of our small town's library branch. I've seen kids walk over there after school and sit together to do their homework. Maybe my kids will be able to do the same thing. My fondest wish is that they will come to know the library as a place of wonder and discovery where they can lose themselves for a few hours.
2 comments:
I think of my library in town as a cozy gathering place. I see lots of people I know there.
It's sad to have hours cut when the public library provides so much to so many.
I think that book about the cat came into our library recently. I am a "cat fancier" so I probably will read the book. ;)
About libraries: especially Utne Reader. I remember reading Utne when in college. Luckily, where I live is a small town and the hours are pretty liberal. 10-8 most days. Well, liberal enough for me...who works part-time at a bookstore too. I don't need any more books really.
My book blog: http://justareadingfool.wordpress.com
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