For those of you who read my post For The Great Love Of Books, you will know I didn’t find reading easy when I was growing up.
Add to that the social awkwardness of extreme anxiety and I was very much a kid who spent her time hidden away alone.
However, even with my difficulty in reading, I still loved stories. So, when my grandmother took me to the small library, hidden away down a quiet road I found my new happy place.
It was petite and cosy with easy-to-find categories and large, strange, foam shapes that kids could play on or sit on.
At first, I only visited the library with my grandmother and brother. We would take a walk and end up there. I’d pick a book or two and then we would wander home again.
As I got older and into my early teens, I started to feel more comfortable reading, so would take a walk on the weekends and visit the library. The maximum number of books you could borrow was 10, so I’d take a canvas bag and fill up on books.
It was always quiet, barely a handful of people in at a time. Even the children who visited were quiet, playing in the designated area and reading through early-learning books.
I would trawl through the stacks looking for something new. I became hooked on crime novels and read all the Ed McBain books. Then I would seek out other authors I’d never heard of.
A new stack would appear and I’d get to see what genre they were now offering. That’s how I came across James Herbert’s horror books. Each time I found a new author I was shown another genre, another voice to take me into a new world.
This small nook, hidden in a small town, brought books to life for me. When there were stress and arguments at home I would just find a corner in the library, sit on the floor with my books and read them.
Without the library, I do not think I would have pushed through my reading issues. It gave me a safe space where I didn’t feel ashamed of my limited reading level. The two older ladies who ran the library were really friendly, they even pointed out new books and recommendations when they saw what I liked.
It became my home away from home (after my Grandmother’s house) 🙂 and I do not think I’d be where I am now without it.
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After my last Blog Hop Post, this one makes a nice follow on. I hope you enjoyed it and do make sure to check out other Blog Hopper authors.
As always, big thanks to Julie Valerie for running the monthly blog hops, they are a lot of fun.
If you are a blogger I do recommend you join the Blog Hop 🙂
Normal scheduling will resume on Friday with a typical-ish writing post, so do pop back.
Happy writing
Author Ari Meghlen Official Website 
Ahhhhh libraries–it’s so wonderful how they become like home. I knew every nook and cranny of my local branch, so I was a little heartbroken when they remodeled it, even though I had moved away and hadn’t patronized it in years.
I understand those feelings. I always feel sad when places I knew when I was younger are changed. Feels like they are taking it away from you by reshaping it as something else, something that doesn’t match the memories
Even sadder: Last year they closed it entirely, as well as another branch in the other half of my old suburb, and built a large, imposing monstrosity halfway between the two on the grounds of the town hall. Now kids can’t ride their bikes to the library anymore; the new location is far away from most neighorhoods and on a road that isn’t conducive to kids on bikes. “Progress.” 😦
It’s like the councils that make these decisions just don’t THINK about it on all fronts – making it massive but not as accessible, making it difficultugly, making it huge and ugly. They are obviously not readers nor library goers themselves 😦
Well, I’ve always told my mom (who still lives there) that our suburb is ridiculously corrupt–lots of cronyism. They put the new library project up to a vote, the citizens said no, so they kept holding votes on it until it passed. And yes, it was huge, ugly, expensive, and unnecessary. Whee.
That is so sad. I hate how cronyism can just destroy a place. It undermines democracy if when the people vote, they are not heard and they just push and push until they get their way. 😦
Jayne, would you be interested in doing a guest post for my blog? If so, let me know and I can drop you my email address so we can sort the details. If not, that’s okay too.
Sure! 🙂
Brilliant! 🙂 Please drop me an email at arimeghlen@gmail.com so I can send you some details.
It so nice to hear a story of how important a library was/is to someone. I think society forgets how they are havens for people of all walks of life, for all sorts of reasons. Long live the library.
Lovely post. Our library in Decatur has many programs highlighting authors and it is wonderful to attend – for free, too. It’s a great place for me to escape and listen to other writers. Love libraries, but I don’t check out books because I’d never return them. Call me a book hoarder (I’m already a dog hoarder).
Lol I understand that feeling. When I use the library it’s like a testing ground, borrow books, if I like said books, go on a mad shopping spree for those books… otherwise I too would be hoarding all the library books…and there is nothing wrong with hoarding dogs, though I’m a cat hoarder myself 🙂
“The maximum number of books you could borrow was 10, so I’d take a canvas bag and fill up on books.”
I still do that! It always feels like I’m Santa Claus heading off with a haul of gifts. Love the feeling of having an armload of books. Love the way they look stacked on my table. Nothing better than a library for making you feel the abundant joy of having a ton of books at your fingertips.
And I found it so touching that the library became your safe place. That’s so beautiful, Ari.
lol Yes it does feel like being Santa, hefting that heavy book bag. Libraries do spark joy, who needed sweet shops when we have libraries to make us happy! 😀
Beautiful article….
Even I love reading.
I’m die hard fan of books…….
😀 thank you. yay die hard book fan. Isn’t it weird if you meet someone who just isn’t into reading? I honestly just find myself thinking “OMG really?? How can you not like books… nope that does not compute.”
Sorry, I did not get you Ari….??
It’s okay. I was just saying how it’s nice to meet someone else who loves books because it’s always strange when I meet someone who doesn’t. The idea that there are people who aren’t into reading seems so strange. 🙂
Awesome post, Ari!
Reading was something I took to like a duck to a pond and I’ve long been very grateful as I became of others having such a struggle with something I knew could bring so many gifts into their lives.
Our daughter had trouble for a long time with her eyes not tracking properly and skipping over part or all of a sentence and she’d have to keep going back and re-reading. She discovered Kelley Armstrong’s series, The Women of the Otherworld, and they caught her imagination. She struggled at first, but hung in there until she now reads as fast, or faster, than I do and is a true bookaholic like her Mom and Dad. 🙂
I am so pleased your daughter managed to overcome her struggles and is able to enjoy books. 🙂