“Outside of a dog, a book is a man’s best friend. Inside of a dog, it’s too dark to read.” (Groucho Marx)
I relate to Groucho’s first sentence and chuckle at the second. If you are like me, there is nothing like a book. Oh, I use my Kindle, but love the feel of a book in my hands, turning pages, even sniffing the paper. Okay, the last one may be over the top, but I would guess I’m not alone.
Despite technology, I believe physical books will always hold a special place in our lives. And the holy of hollies, the sancta sanctorum, of books are our public libraries. Do you remember the first library you entered? You were probably a child, overwhelmed by stacks and stacks of books, an almost reverent silence (years ago), desks with reading lamps, or little alcoves to nestle into, book in hand. Perhaps your library had a magical place just for children. But best of all, any book was yours for the taking, for a few weeks at least. Did it get any better than that?
My First Library Memory
The library lived in an older building in Rochester, with its entrance on a side alley. Its dark, plum colored linoleum crackled under foot. I recall two sections, one for adults and one for children. One day, I followed my mother as she slowly examined the stacks. It seemed to take forever, so I found something to occupy my time. For some reason, the books I could reach on the lower shelves had golden stars pasted on their spines. When I finished entertaining myself, the pile of stars on the floor inspired my mother to check out with lightening speed.
Irondequoit’s First Library
When I look at the sprawling newly built library to serve the Town of Irondequoit, just north of Rochester, I believe people who grew up in that town in the 50’s could tell you about the seedlings of today’s massive “book tree” on Titus Avenue. I do not know if there were other little library start-ups, or if the one I will tell you about was the only one.
At any rate, it was a moderately large room, tucked in the back of a popular clothing store. You had to pass the shoe department to find it. For me, it was worth the hunt. Although it had only about five stacks, I could always find a book to take me on adventures and to places unknown. That’s when I first read about the Scandinavian countries and saw a picture of Scandinavian art. I loved that library. It was cozy.
Speaking of Cozy…
The home my parents purchased had an attic, complete with hardwood floors and a crawl space along the side of the wall. That entry, probably for storage, fascinated me. I would liken it to C.S. Lewis’ The Lion the Witch, and the Wardrobe. The enchanted wardrobe was like that crawl space. What lie behind the wall/door?
One night, I found the answer in my sleep. Mustering “dream” courage, I entered that crawl space. An old man sat behind a desk in the center of a small room. His lamp cast a warm glow around the walls that held stacks of books. “Read anything you want,” he said. And then I woke up.
What are your bookish memories? Do you recall what you felt and saw when you entered a library for the first time? My mother influenced my love of books. Who introduced you to their awesome power to entertain, teach, and challenge you?
I remember the librarians who checked my books out! The lady with the dark/haired ponytail and glasses, the young man who could quickly whip out and stamp the cards, the old house the library initially occupied…and then, like magic, a new brick facility bead built, around the corner of our beloved Westcott neighborhood!
That neighborhood has since evolved into an artsy, chi-chi cultural center, surrounded by the Syracuse University students. I still drive down from Liverpool to walk around there. The library is still very much there, and I still stop in!
Great memories, Cathy. So glad you still enjoy the library of your childhood, even though it changed over the years.
I loved the quiet and the sense of tranquility when I walked inside. The Greece library was located inn the old Mother of Sorrows Church at Paddy Hill. The floors creaked, and the scent of old wood filled the air. I remember hunting through the children’s shelves as if they held magical treasures.
And indeed those shelves DID hold magic treasures!
My first “library” was a bookshelf in the corner of a one room country school. There was a book there with pictures of a boy in a green suit and cap and a pirate with a hook where his hand should have been. If only I could read! Two years later, due to the encouragement of a young teacher, I was in the Second grade and reading at the sixth grade level!
What an amazing memory, Bob. Now we have schools with every technological advantage and some students still never develop appreciation for reading. I’m not surprised you went to grade six reading level in two years. Now you’re a prolific author of four books (I consider four books prolific) and hopefully a fifth! I’m so glad I purchased your first book, Acquisition, when we first met and I interviewed at your book signing for an article in The Good News. You keep writing and I’ll keep reading!
What a great article. Keep up the fantastic work and thank you for all these wonderful articles.