Do you remember your first library? I sure do. My elementary school library was in a windowless storage space off of the lunch room. We were allowed to check out one book each week. But as a poor student and poor reader I was intimidated by the room full of books. By Junior High, however, I’d received help with my dyslexia and become a voracious reader (thanks to the intervention of my librarian step-mom). My school was new, with a beautiful library, and I began devouring the collection immediately. My favorite was the Alfred Hitchcock and the Three Investigator series. Unfortunately, it only took me a little more than a semester to get banned from the library for the rest of Jr. High. According to Ms. Burke, the librarian, I did not know how to behave in a library. I’m sure she was right.
Most adults see today’s library through the lens of their childhood library. The librarians are remembered as stern and the environment as cold. For many, the damp, musty smell of old books is unforgettable. Maybe this is why people drive by and wonder why on earth our parking lot is full. Or why their mouths drop open when they first visit and find a vibrant, beautiful, engaging library.
When you see your GPL making changes, we are working to make sure that your children remember the place they learned to love reading as an exciting place they loved. We are working to make sure our facility, programs, and resources are what you and your family need to succeed. We hope that when you look back on your relationship with GPL it will have been –
- the place your children learned to love reading
- the place you found your job
- the place you studied and excelled
- the place you were introduced to your favorite author
- the place you could count on a smile
- the place you learned new skills, explored, and dreamed
- the place you met a friend