A Library

Picture book

    Do you have fond early library memories?  I sure do!  When I was a child a visit to the library was part of my family's Saturday morning routine, an incentive to be good and not whine for stuff during grocery shopping.  I loved searching for just the right books to take home.  One summer we had a reading contest.  As kids devoured books the paper boats with our names advanced around the children's wing walls.  As one of the winners, I got to go to the Big City of my childhood, Boston, and pick a free book from a bookstore.

     Prize winning poet and activist, Nikki Giovanni, loved the library of her early years, especially her first librarian, Mrs. Long.  This fine professional encouraged her to go through the card catalog "to see what else was there." That was back in the days when there were colored and white libraries.  When Giovanni wanted a book not in the colored library Mrs. Long would score it for her from the white library.

     Her A Library, warmly illustrated by Erin K. Robinson, shows all the things a library is to one child:

To be free, 

To be either a cook or a crook,

To be quick and smart.

In my favorite two page spread she is in a boat with a handsome cat surfing the rainbow while sailing the dreams.

     This gorgeous volume would make a great family read aloud and discuss.  What does a library mean for you.

     Those of us who rock functional literacy and have library access are truly privileged.  I couldn't have survived the first lonely phase of the pandemic without inter library loan bringing volumes from all over the State of Maine and my friend Emily bringing them from my local library to my door.  And this gift allowed me to keep on blogging.

     We can't take this privilege for granted.  Right now conservatives and fundamentalists are working overtime to get any books they consider offensive banned.  And people who want less government spending want us to believe that libraries are just frills.  Nice but not necessary.

     We can't let them win!  

On a purrrsonal note, I had a great weekend.  Saturday I took advantage of the house being quiet to work a lot on a big paper.  Today I was fortunate enough to be able to help my new friends in the nursing school with their 5K road race.  Lots of people showed up to run, some accompanied by their children and dogs.  Some of the kids finished the whole run!!!  It was one radiant child's very first race.  There was a very nutritious picnic lunch after the running.  We had ideal weather.  (Jules)

It was a gorgeous day.  Won't get too many more.  (Tobago)

A great big shout out goes out to all who participated in the race, especially those who set the whole thing up.

Tobago and Jules Hathaway 

     

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