Cheryl Dobbs
Director of Greenwood Public Library
cdobbs@greenwoodlibrary.us
As a part of our Support GPL campaign, we’ve asked for your stories – your experiences with our library. These stories have been incredibly valuable to us. On difficult days, they make us smile and remind us what we are fighting for. They allow us to share with those who may wish to support our library why we are worth their investment. They are eye-witness accounts of the power of libraries to change lives. Let me share just one of those stories with you:
Anna’s Story
Growing up in Greenwood, Tuesday was library day. I was fortunate enough to have a stay home mom. She ran that household better than most CEOs of Fortunate 500 companies. I was allowed to check out 3 books every week. It was solely my responsibility to gather my books and return them. If I forgot a book, it came out of my Ms. Curl or Linder’s ice cream money afterwards. I rarely forgot a book! With my mother’s help, and GPL’s, I learned responsibility and that there are consequences to being irresponsible. Back then, we didn’t have the internet, XBox, or even cable. There was no Barnes & Noble. So you can imagine that the summer reading program was a pretty big deal. You committed to reading (I think) 10 books over the summer. My parents asked me every week about my progress. Nothing was better than getting my certificate as a Library Superstar when I finished. My parents and the GPL taught me about commitment, as well as how to work independently. Most importantly, my parents introduced me to the joy of losing yourself in a good book; GPL allowed me make that journey. Over 4 decades, I have lost myself in biographies, opened my mind to other cultures and religions, brushed up on the fascinating history of countries, companies, politics, philosophy, and everything in between; read the classics; explored spirituality; lost myself in fiction, such as magical worlds like Harry Potter, tales of time travel, sad stories reflecting the horror of war and violence, chick lit, mysteries, historical fiction and so much more. (“Oh the places you’ll go!”). Books simply make your world bigger. Thank you GPL. Now I am a VP in a Fortune 100 company, working far away from Greenwood. But somewhere inside of me is that little girl on the floor of GPL, so happy to have her mother reading her a book on Tuesday. What a gift I was given. Thomas Jefferson said, “I have often thought that nothing would do more extensive good at small expense than the establishment of a small circulating library in every county, to consist of a few well-chosen books, to be lent to the people of the country under regulations as would secure their safe return in due time.” I concur, Mr. Jefferson. Thanks GPL for more than words can say, but most of all, for the memories.
Anna is not the first patron to write their library story for us from out of state. Donations have come in from across the country from patrons who have heard about our struggles. These are the stories that began in Greenwood and are still tethered here. These stories give you a glimpse of why patrons are so passionate about supporting the Greenwood Public Library. We are not merely a warehouse of books or even a repository of knowledge. Rather we are an interactive portal allowing exploration, creative play, and investigation. The library changes, enriches, and empowers lives.
Today, in the end, was another long day in our recovery. Progress was made, and more will have to be made tomorrow. But as I got up to clear off my desk this evening before heading home, Liz from Patron Services came up to my office with a donation in her hand. A patron had just donated $1000. Every time this happens, and it happens frequently, we are honored and humbled. Liz went back downstairs, but before I could finish gathering my things, she was back with another check in her hand. A $200 donation. I had already signed a dozen donation thank you letters today, and the support just kept coming. I know there are library stories behind each gift.
I have to say that transparency is a scary thing. How will people react? Will they be so disillusioned that they will write us off? Maybe some have done so, but the most common response has been overwhelming support. That support produces in us a determination to succeed, to honor these patrons – their history with us, their stories, and their gifts. We want the next generation of Anna’s to be able to sprawl on the floor of the Children’s department, imagining and exploring the world they will one day be called upon to lead.