A Tribute to the Libraries of My Life

I know National Library Week isn’t until next month. But I recently received my author copies of my May Love Inspired, Winning the Teacher’s Heart, and that made me think of libraries. I generally donate a large print copy of my books to my local library.

Libraries have played a large part in my lifelong love of reading.  I struggled with reading in first and grades. Since I had a September birthday, I was one of the youngest kids in my class, and I had trouble sounding out the words. The summer after second grade, when my next youngest brother was big enough to make the walk, my mom put my youngest brother in the stroller and took my three brothers and me to the LaSalle Public Library in Niagara Falls every week to get our own books. That fall, a couple of weeks into third grade, I moved from the lowest reading group, not to the middle group, but right to the top one.

My next library was the Stephens Memorial Library in Attica, NY, where we moved the summer before I started sixth grade. At first, it seemed like a come down from the Niagara Falls library. The library was in a house on Main Street. But, it was here that I discovered wonderful books like The Secret Garden, still one of my favorite books. And I did research for my high school papers, with another discovery, inter-library loan. The library “house” was painted white when I used it. The addition with the more library look was added when I was in high school.

The Nassau Free Library in the Village of Nassau, NY, was our first family library. It, too, was in a renovated house. Don’t you love the rendering from the library’s Facebook page? Like, my mother, I took my kids there from the time they were toddlers. And the year my husband went back to college to pick up a drafting certificate and had time home during the day, he gained the distinction of being the only father who regularly attended the daytime weekly story hour.

My current library is the RCS (Ravena-Coeymans-Selkirk) Community Library. It recently moved to more spacious quarters in the old American Legion building in town. My big discovery at the RCS library is borrowing eBooks, which sadly means I don’t visit the actual library building as often as I did with my other libraries.

What are the libraries of your life?

The Thursday Sisterhood with Jean C. Gordon

Family Status: Married, two kids, two grandchildren

What Is Your Favorite Beverage: Tonic water

What Is Your Favorite Food: Cheesecake  

What Is Your Favorite Thing to do During Free Time: Read and check on my family and friends on Facebook

Who Has Been the Most Influential Person in Your Life: My parents (They made me feel I could do anything I wanted to do.)

First Book You Fell in Love With: The Secret Garden

First Book Published: Bachelor Father (Avalon Books)

Most Recent Book: Small-Town Midwife

Out Next: Nothing scheduled, but I’m working on that

How Many Have You Written: Ten  

What Do You Know Now That You Wish You’d Known Then: How much time authors need to spend on publicity and other book-related tasks in addition to actually writing the book

What is Your Favorite Bible Story: The story of Mary Magdalene.  

What is Your Favorite Bible Verse: Psalm 55:22: Cast your cares on the LORD and he will sustain you. He will never let the righteous be shaken. (Also, one of the hardest for me to follow)

What is Your Favorite Hymn: A toss-up between Amazing Grace and What Child Is This 

What is an Ongoing Prayer Request You Have: For God to help me be more accepting.