Libraries: A Four Generation Treasure

I am reminded of when Spencer came home from his mission in November 2010.

He was acclimating to being home. He would borrow my car, my credit card and my library card.

I went with him to the library for something on one of the first weeks he was home and he made the comment on our way there "Did I know how cool the library is, that he is a real fan of libraries."

Well it was a surprise to me, to hear him say that, and then I realized on his mission it was at libraries that he could use the computers to write home. So he had a real history with libraries.

I started thinking about libraries after posting my last post.

I too love a library. One learns in college to love a library I think. I used to love in our early married days to visit the library with the kids. They would all choose books to bring home and treasure for a few weeks. We would go back and find new treasure repeatedly. If I remember we had little bags to put our books in.

I have many memories of visiting the library before the home computer for many a project and report for the kids. Or to pick up the English reading assigned book.

I too love to go to the library. When the children were young and funds were tight. I would treat myself with timeout at the library. I would love and scour and devour their magazines. The variety was endless and intoxicating to me.

Recently my Dad was in town for a funeral I picked him up at the airport with time to spare, so we visited and drove through old neighborhoods of ours. It was a delightful time together. One place we passed was the Holiday library. I was reminded as he was, how he used to visit the library to read magazines. (that is the first time I ever realized I did that same thing too, visit libraries to read magazines!)

Well Mom has always loved books and libraries and I have no doubt that her Mom; Grammy, passed that love of libraries on, with all her genealogy work she loved to do.

How cool is that four generations of library lovers.(At least) (I remember hearing that the Clark's for many generations valued education highly. With all the orphaned children of Margaret and Riley's I think it may have been 5 or 6 of their 10 children that became physicians, I am sure a library was treasured or would that have been before libraries were a standard?)

In Pleasant Grove where we lived when Russ and I were first married and he was getting his MBA from BYU, we had around the block the most charming library housed in the most charming historical home. It was not a big library nor a well stocked library but it was close and charming.

In Michigan our library was our wonderful friend with story time, and its walking distance from our home and its delightfully decorated children's rooms.( I have forgotten all about these libraries until I have been writing here.)

I wish I had photos.

The closest to the fun library children's rooms that our Michigan library had is the SLC library. Aren't their children's rooms ever cool?!

The downtown library (SLC) also has the most delicious cafe' desserts!!

Now I can't forget the book mobiles!!! Oh how the kids loved those. It would park on Nicholls  Rd. once a week or was it every other week, one certain day a week.

What a treasure we have in this country in our libraries. Okay I better stop there!!