Musing Monday

Over at Should Be Reading, today's Musing Monday question is about Library Love! And just this morning, as I woke up to an entire day off and alone, my secret wish was that the library was open. I phoned, it's not. But, the library is the first place I go whenever I have a day off.

When I was a tot I loved the library and I think I got to go every 2 weeks or so. But in highschool I would walk ten minutes downtown and sit at the Main library for hours after school or during a free period. I had little notebooks that I would write things down in (I was reading mostly non-fiction) and I actually never brought books home; I would read them there and leave bookmarks in them, slip them back on the shelf for the next day.

Now, I live 10 minutes from my Main library and I walk there whenever I have a day off, if my books are due, or just to sit and read. They have an entire wall of windows with chairs and tables underneath, and the street is older and quaint and quiet. The whole thing makes me focus completely on whatever I am reading. I have been known to read an entire book just sitting there. The last time I did this was when I randomly picked up Evolution, Me and Other Freaks of Nature by Robin Brande. I also still have my original library card from when I became old enough to get a plastic adult card. When I was a kid I just used my mom's card and then I had a paper certificate from the library saying I could take out like 3 books, but that was just an extention of my mom's card. I think I was 13 when I got my own, and this is the card I still have with my cute, crafted little signature.

When I went to University I spent most of my time at the Dana Porter library. It's the arts library, 10 floors of books and a coffee shop. I think my first reaction to it was, "Are you kidding me?". I spent A LOT of time here, in between classes, after classes, during classes, drinking vanilla cappuccinos and reading and writing in my little notebooks (again, mostly non-fiction. I only came back to fiction two years ago). Even after University I used to audit classes and sit at the Dana Porter afterwards reading. I haven't just gone to hang out there in a while, as it is a 40 minute bus ride, but when I die it is one of the places I will go back to to haunt!

Through my life the library has been a safehaven for me, as well as books in general, and I have sought out the nearest library whenever my life changed, whenever I changed schools, moved out, or needed to get away.

I think I will make this a two-part answer and next time speak about my love for used bookstores and my love for the new bookstore that I currently work at.

Mandy