Library Lovers & Celebrate the Small Things

As it's still Library Lovers Month I thought I would share another library I happen to love. This is the Thompson Library at Ohio State University. I worked there throughout my college career and I loved both my job and the place in equal measure.

I mentioned in my post about the Bexley Library that I like interesting doors and the Thompson doors fit that bill. There are three evenly spaced identical doors at the entrance, behind the statue of Mr. Thompson in the above picture.

Once I walked inside that door though, nothing about the library looked the same as when I worked there. The building was renovated from 2007-2009, and the inside is now unrecognizable to me.

But that doesn't make it a bad thing. The atrium is airy and open, and the floors of books are enclosed in glass.

Source: Wikimedia Commons

The first floor houses special collections from the University archives, and I found this fun display of paper dresses from the 1960s. I had no idea that paper dresses were ever popular, but my mom assured me they definitely were, especially the Campbell's Soup style. Bizarre!

The Thompson Library may not be the library I remember, but I love it just the same. I'd like to go back sometime when I have more time to explore.

And now to Celebrate the Small Things! This fun weekly hop is hosted by my buddy Lexa Cain and co-hosted by L.G Keltner at Writing Off the Edge, Tonja Drecker at Kidbits, and Katie at The Cyborg Mom. Visit Lexa's blog here to find out how join in the hop yourself and to see the list of participants.

This week I'm celebrating:

1) My new iPhone. I love it!! I loved my old Samsung phone for a long time but it was now close to giving up the ghost and I knew I needed something new. I decided to go with the iPhone and I can see now why they are so popular. I am totally addicted to the phone, which may not be something to celebrate after all. ;)

2) I had a great time at the Sisters In Crime writer's group meeting I mentioned last week. The guest speaker was an author who loved writing about history and ghosts, When I heard that, I knew I was going to enjoy this talk. :D

3) I've been inspired to get back to an old story idea I'd left sitting for over a year and I'm really excited about it. It's historical and includes a ghost! :D

Happy weekend, all!

Library Lovers' Month & The Bexley Public Library

February is Library Lovers' Month, which has inspired me to start a blog series celebrating some of the libraries I love. Some of my very earliest memories are of going to the library with my parents and getting to pick out my own books, which nearly always included at least one Beatrix Potter title. I've loved libraries ever since so I figured what better time to celebrate that than during Library Lovers' Month?

The first library I'm spotlighting is the Bexley Public Library. Bexley is a suburb of Columbus, Ohio, and a charming little village in its own right. The library definitely adds to that charm.

I have been there twice in the past year for meetings with the Sisters in Crime regional chapter, of which I am a member. Maybe it helps that I've really enjoyed these meetings, but for whatever reason I am totally enchanted with the Bexley library.

I love the building itself, especially the gold door. The library was built in 1929 by architects O.C. Miller and R.R. Reeves, who were influenced by 17th century French and Italian architecture for the design, and I love that the original building is still in use. I love old buildings and the history they bring with them, and it often seems like we are all too quick to tear down and rebuild in this country.

When you first walk into the library, there is a reading room off to your right that is a book lover's dream. I didn't get a picture of it, but found this from the State Library of Ohio site. The room is gorgeous!

Source: State Library of Ohio

The basement holds the brightly colored children's area, and I have no doubt I would have loved exploring these shelves as a kid.

Source: State Library of Ohio

Right outside the library sits this statue. I couldn't make out the inscription on it, but I like it just the same.

To me the Bexley library has the feel of an old-fashioned library in an era when those are becoming increasingly uncommon. Both times I have been there I've felt like I was returning to the libraries of my childhood when I entered the building. That alone is reason to love it.

I hope to share more libraries I love even after Library Lover's Month has ended. Do you have a favorite library?

Library Lovers Month and The Ohioana Book Festival

February is Library Lovers' Month, which is "a month-long celebration of school, public, and private libraries of all types." I hadn't planned to post anything about that until my mom gave me this old faded photo she found of me when I had just turned three in December of 1971.

What does this have to do with Library Lovers' Month? I'm certain that the book I am pretending to read to our family dog came from our local library.

Even though there were tons of books around my house when I was little, I still always loved going to the library and picking out more. And my favorite books to pick out were the Peter Rabbit books by Beatrix Potter. Odds are good that the book I am holding in this picture is The Tale of Tom Kitten. Even though I wasn't actually old enough to read at this time, I imagine my parents had read the book to me so many times that I could page through it and tell the story well enough that my toys and my dog were none the wiser.

I knew exactly where the Potter books were shelved in the library and would run to them immediately when my parents would take me there. I can still see the row of little green books lined up on their home shelf and I remember what a big decision it was to choose which one to take home with me.

I work as a librarian and it's no secret that many libraries have fallen on hard times, particularly since the start of the recession in 2008. It's a simple fact that many people believe the digital age has rendered libraries obsolete.

I'm honestly not interested in debating that point. But this photo is a simple reminder of why I will always love libraries, regardless of what the future holds. I'm glad the little girl in this picture had the pleasure of going to the library and picking out which book she wanted to take home. And for the record, I still love Peter Rabbit and all of his friends.

I had another reason to celebrate libraries last week when I learned that my application to participate in the annual Ohioana Book Festival, which is put on by the Ohioana Library Association, was accepted! I'm so excited and can't wait to be one of the festival authors at this year's event in May.

I've been in a bit of a slump/funk since the start of the year but this invitation was just what I needed to get my spark back. It was such a thrill to get that acceptance e-mail! When I first saw it in my inbox I honestly assumed it would be a "thanks, but no thanks" rejection. My eyes nearly bugged out of my head when I opened it and read that I was wrong.

I'm also excited because Tara Tyler, who initially told me about the festival, was accepted too and this event will be the first time I get to meet one of my blogger buddies in person. Yay!

So I have more than one reason to raise a glass to libraries this month. Cheers! :)

Library Lovers' Month

February is Library Lovers' Month and, because I am a librarian, I couldn't let the month pass without a celebratory post.

The purpose of the special month is to recognize the value of libraries and to celebrate libraries of all types, including the public library in your neighborhood or the library in your child's elementary school. For me, this is simple, as I have loved libraries for as long as I can remember.

When I was a very young child and not yet in school, my parents used to take me to our local library on a regular basis. I always looked forward to the trips, and as soon as we got inside the building I would run to the children's section and the shelves dedicated to books for very young kids. I knew exactly where the books I wanted were located on the shelves, as I picked out the same books nearly every time I visited.

I always wanted the Beatrix Potter books, which featured the adorable characters of Peter Rabbit, Tom Kitten, and Squirrel Nutkin, among many others. The little green books were in the right corner of the bottom shelf, and I always chose one or more of them to bring home.

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I loved all of the Potter books, but my favorite was Tom Kitten. Many years later when I lived on my own and adopted a kitten, I named him Thomas.

We always had tons of books at home, but for me there was something special about going to the library and picking out my own books to read. It didn't matter to me that I always picked the same ones.

Once I was in school I loved going to my school library, and I can still picture the whole place in my mind. Once again, I knew exactly where the books I loved to read were located.

This time, I favored the Freddy the Pig series, by Walter Brooks. My particular favorites were Freddy Goes to Florida and Freddy Goes to the North Pole, as I loved the adventures of Freddy and his traveling farm animal friends.

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As with everything else, my love of animals was present in my book choices.

I will always love libraries and the world of books thanks to the joy they brought me as a child, and it makes me smile now when I go to my local library and see children burdened down with their own treasured books as they wait to check them out.

What about you? Were you enchanted by libraries as a child? 

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Happy Library Lovers' Month and Happy Weekend to all! :)