So this is National Library Week. I love this Vintage Children's Book.
I'm not sure I wanted to be a Librarian, but I am sure I wanted to go to the Library as much as possible. In order to get a library card, my library insisted that the patron be able to write his/her name. Since I read before I could write, I asked my big sister Judie to teach me to write my name. I practiced until I got it right, and I was finally to get my library card when I was four. I was already reading, but mostly the books my sister chose or books she owned. How exciting to have my own card that opened the world of books to me. My plan was to start at "A" and work my way through the alphabet. I was too young to know that was futile, but for some reason I'm still trying.....
I did get to be a librarian. I worked in a small brach library, knew my patrons, and loved it. My favorite activity was conducting weekly storytimes for second graders from a nearby elementary school. My oldest son took his first steps in that library (yes, he is still an avid reader) and just last week, the library invited me back for a presentation of Santa Cruz Weird, a short story anthology I edited.
ReplyDeleteI DID want to become a librarian, mostly because it was a quiet safe place, and I was very shy as a child. But I also was a voracious reader. In elementary school before 5th grade, I had read every Nancy Drew and Hardy Boys books in our tiny school library. Once I was able to get my own card at the city library, my Mom would take me every Friday and I'd fill up our Navy cardboard box with about 10 books that I would read before the next Friday. In junior high and high school I worked in our library, and when I was asked what my career path was, of course I said librarian. Except when I found out how much college was required for that, it squashed my ambitions. However, in my first ride-along in a police car during driver training changed my whole career path. But because of all that reading, my vocabulary and spelling abilities are excellent. I don't think I ever read the book you show here but it was certainly made for me.
ReplyDeleteVal
I recall my parents taking me to the library to get a child’s card when I was 5 years old. I couldn’t believe they would give me books to take home to read. And they had SO MANY! I didn’t realize that not ALL those books were just for five year olds. But there were enough!
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