Library Love

Note - This post was written a few days before the devastating remnants of TD Debby and resulting flood waters hit the NoCo. Sending out our best to everyone and hoping you are safe and dry. I have not gone into town yet to see how the DRC house fared.  I will keep you all updated here, in next week's post.

I grew up in the very small town of Brasher Falls, where there was no public library until recently - well past my childhood. My only option was the tiny school library - where I was allowed to check out two books each week. I was one of those kids who devoured a single book in hours - two books covered me for a portion of a day - never mind a whole entire week.

Therefore, all three books I owned as a child were in heavy rotation. One after the other, over and over and over again. (It helped that I don't comprehend anything I read; it has always been about the joy of escape and experiencing a story unfold.) Heidi by Johanna Spyri inspired my dream to visit Switzerland one day (no longer an ambition). The Five Little Peppers and How They Grew corroborated my experience as the eldest child (of 4). And The Bobbsey Twins by the Seashore let me dance with the tension of mystery and intrigue without being scared (too much). That and I remember being fascinated by the possibility of having two sets of twins in one family.

I vowed that if I ever had children - they would have as many books as they desired.

And as fortunate would have it, I had two children who adored books as much as me. As toddlers and preschoolers, they were regulars at the Potsdam Library story-time, and every week, we came home with as many books as we could carry.

At the ripe age of three, Kiddo #1’s ambition was to get his own library card. The librarian told him that as soon as he could sign (write) his own name - he could get one. He practiced and practiced, and by the time his fourth birthday rolled around, he indeed had his very own. Then, around the age of ten or eleven, his card expired. He told us it was because he had read every children's & YA book in the Potsdam Library - honestly, it wasn't much of a stretch. Needless to say his sibling, followed in his footsteps.

As tweens & teens, they frequented the Canton Free Library and developed a passion for graphic novels (Usagi Yojimbo, Copper, & Amulet...), plus in Kiddo #2’s case - any story that involved horses. Additionally, they both built valuable relationships with the folks there.

Besides the bags of books from the library each week - once they started pre-school, we ordered from Scholastic, every trip to Massachusetts to visit their cousins' included a stop at Barnes & Noble, and then came Amazon and the ability to buy books anytime they wanted. It is not an exaggeration to say these kiddos had loads and loads of books - in honor of my long-ago promise, they were the one thing we always indulged in. (Bonus - most of those books now reside at Deep Root Center.)

Yes, books have always been the mainstay of libraries for all of us book lovers - but in today's world, they offer so much more. Libraries have evolved with the times to become the true backbone of each community they serve. They are the media, cultural, educational, & community centers. (You can even borrow tools - or, in DRC's case this week - market tents.) Additionally, libraries are acknowledged safe spaces for everyone.

Our librarians and library workers are actual heroes who imagine and then work tirelessly to orchestrate that beautiful cornucopia of offerings for anyone who wishes to partake. To be clear, these are the folks you want on your side when the going gets rough. They know how to get $h!t done - while smiling at you with encouragement the whole time!

Sending out big love to all the libraries and the folks who keep them running! Thank you for always being there for my family and all the DRC Kiddos.

This is an invitation to share your Library Love stories in the comments or with friends. You can also encourage community support for these amazing people and places who are responsible for helping to raise generations of responsible citizens who are excited about learning.

DRC News

Sadly, due to Friday's extreme weather event, flooding, and concerns about safe travel, we had to cancel the DRC Craft Fair/Family Fun Event scheduled for yesterday. Watch for the rescheduled date - likely this late summer/fall. 

Thank you to everyone who had a hand in planning, lending us tents, and agreeing to participate - we look forward to seeing everyone soon.

To continue the library love theme - huge shouts of thanks to the Massena Library for agreeing to host the DRC Pop-ups every Thursday afternoon beginning Sept. 12th. Click here for more info about the Pop-ups.

Register for Summer Program here. It begins next week!