Dear Libraries,
This is where it all truly begins. This is where I lay it all out on the table and tell you WHY we are meant for each other. I no longer fear rejection; there's no room for that in a courtship. And I plan to be the best suitor you've ever had. Trust me, Libraries, we're going to do great things together.
I've loved you for a long time, nearly as long as I can remember. It all started in my elementary school library--the first time I realized I could take whatever book I wanted and bring it home with me, for free!, I could almost feel the magic pulsing in the air. You introduced me to authors who changed my life, from Robin McKinley to Judy Blume to Phyllis Reynolds Naylor. Every Newberry seemed to bring me a little closer to understanding the world and, more importantly, myself. I knew you were the one for me and nothing has been the same since.
Then I met your darker, almost hauntingly beautiful side: the public library. If the school library is the gateway to the magical world of books and free knowledge, then the older sister is the wellspring from which such knowledge flows. EVERYONE is welcome in a public library, and everything is free. This was when I started to learn the importance of equal access and to consider the implications of such a beast. Public libraries represent my very favorite elements of good education: intellectual freedom, universal tolerance, and learning not only how to ask the right questions, but more importantly, how to find the answers for yourself.
Oh, Libraries. You are such a perfectly complex creature that I'm convinced I will never know everything about you, and really--isn't that the fun? The secret joke is that while you offer access to boundless information, your own abilities are boundless as well. Every library is a reflection of its community and their particular needs, and so no library is ever just the same. Your potential is limitless but your funds are not, and the greatest puzzle is to determine how best to distribute your resources. Few industries allow so much inherent creative freedom, and this, my friend, is the reason I believe you will never die. As long as there is a community with needs, libraries will be there to reflect and enhance.
Even though I'm years from being a true "librarian," I can't help but get all itchy from anticipation of the wonderful things I know are coming. I still have so much to learn and can't wait to learn it. I do know for sure that I want to do big things; technology is changing faster than ever before, and as it does, even greater potential for libraries is unlocked. And I can't wait to be there and make things happen. Buckle up, Libraries, we're going all the way to Level 60.
Faithfully yours,
Maggie
This is where it all truly begins. This is where I lay it all out on the table and tell you WHY we are meant for each other. I no longer fear rejection; there's no room for that in a courtship. And I plan to be the best suitor you've ever had. Trust me, Libraries, we're going to do great things together.
I've loved you for a long time, nearly as long as I can remember. It all started in my elementary school library--the first time I realized I could take whatever book I wanted and bring it home with me, for free!, I could almost feel the magic pulsing in the air. You introduced me to authors who changed my life, from Robin McKinley to Judy Blume to Phyllis Reynolds Naylor. Every Newberry seemed to bring me a little closer to understanding the world and, more importantly, myself. I knew you were the one for me and nothing has been the same since.
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| Nashville Public Library: the girl who started it all |
Oh, Libraries. You are such a perfectly complex creature that I'm convinced I will never know everything about you, and really--isn't that the fun? The secret joke is that while you offer access to boundless information, your own abilities are boundless as well. Every library is a reflection of its community and their particular needs, and so no library is ever just the same. Your potential is limitless but your funds are not, and the greatest puzzle is to determine how best to distribute your resources. Few industries allow so much inherent creative freedom, and this, my friend, is the reason I believe you will never die. As long as there is a community with needs, libraries will be there to reflect and enhance.
Even though I'm years from being a true "librarian," I can't help but get all itchy from anticipation of the wonderful things I know are coming. I still have so much to learn and can't wait to learn it. I do know for sure that I want to do big things; technology is changing faster than ever before, and as it does, even greater potential for libraries is unlocked. And I can't wait to be there and make things happen. Buckle up, Libraries, we're going all the way to Level 60.
Faithfully yours,
Maggie
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