"I don't ever want to imagine living without a library in my life."

My mom used to read to my brother and I at bedtime every night before we could read longer stories ourselves. Some of the earliest memories I have of 'family nights' were trips to the library on Friday night with a stop at Dairy Queen on the way home. I would check out the full limit of books I was allowed to take, read them all in a week and return the next Friday night for more. Some of my favourite authors from that time were Beverly Cleary and Judy Blume.
Growing up, my whole family were readers. It was not unusual to see all 4 of us in the living room, no one talking but everyone reading. It was no surprise that I developed a love of reading that superseded almost everything else. My mom would try to make me go outside and play, but I would sit on the back step until she would give in and let me come back in and read.
As I got older, it was natural to look to the library for my first job. I became a 'Page' at the library at 15 years old, checking books in and out, shelving them and helping the patrons. I kept the job throughout high school and until I started my first full-time job upon graduation. One of the things I loved about being a Page was the opportunity to see all the great genre choices being returned that I may not have found on my own.
I continued the family reading passion by reading to my daughters when they were born. It was natural to bring them to storytime when they became old enough and both daughters eventually volunteered to become a Reading Buddy for several years.
Recently, I had to go into the library to dispute a returned damaged book charge. When they pulled up my history, I was astonished to hear that I have borrowed over 3,000 books from the library over the course of my membership - and happy to note that not one book had been returned damaged. :-)
Reading has been a part of my life for as long as I can remember. For me, reading is an escape and a relaxation and a treat I look forward to at the end of a long, busy, or stressful day. I don't ever want to imagine living without a library in my life.
- Colleen
