Libraries Have Changed My Life

My first library card

Libraries have changed my life.

No really. It’s true.

Libraries were there for me when no one else was. 

I remember (or at least I think I remember) getting my first library card and writing my name in big capital letter on the bright orange plastic. It was like having the world’s best credit card. Any time I wanted a book, I just had to present that card. Like Arthur sings: “Having fun isn’t hard, when you’ve got a library card.”

I remember riding my bike to my local public library in high school to fill my drawstring backpack with as many books as it would hold. I would scour the young adult and DIY sections looking for anything that piqued my interest. The days when different books appeared in the “New Releases” section were my favorite. On those days, I would spend nearly an hour in the library – not reading books, just deciding which ones to take. I still have the opening hours of my local library memorized.

I remember my first job in college as a student librarian. I got to see the magic behind these majestic treasure troves of information. For at least two hours each week, I was part of the magic. I re-shelved books, assisted patrons, and tidied up the study spaces. I learned that the phrase “The library will be closing in 15 minutes” means different things to different people. I also learned that librarians are some of the best people in the world. They are people who really care about books and the people who read them. I love librarians as much as I love libraries.

I remember the day I found out I could get a library card in London. I thought “I can do this. I can live in another country. I’ve got a library!” That library connected me to all of the libraries from my past. It connected me to all of the “friends” I had made in books I had previously read. Standing in the library and receiving my card, I felt a sense of security for the first time since I had moved across the ocean. I don’t know that I would have made it through the move if I hadn’t found that library.I recently discovered that I can access my local library’s digital media collection from London*. I’ve been downloading audiobooks for my commute through the Overdrive app. It makes me so happy that I can stay connected to that library and that I get to hear really great audiobooks! There are not words to describe the nostalgia and excitement I feel every time I click on a new book. 

I love libraries. 

I am so grateful that I have always had access to one. 

I can honestly say I would not be who I am today if it weren’t for libraries.

I know they don’t seem all that exciting. After all, they’re just very quiet rooms filled with a lot of dead trees. But don’t underestimate the power of a library. They change lives. 



*My local library is also the first in the nation to have all of its branches certified as a sensory-inclusive spaces for patrons with autism, PTSD, dementia, etc. How cool is that!!!