My Love Letter to the Library

Hello Lovely Readers!

I hope you are having a lovely start to the summer! It has definitely started warming up here and I am grateful that our AC is now working (the days without it were not fun). Today is also the start of Summer Reading at our local library! I loved summer reading challenges growing up and now I have the pleasure of sharing them with my daughter. 

In honor of summer reading, I am sharing an article I wrote for my column The Book Nook in the Slow Living Home Magazine**. Hope you enjoy it!

**For those of you who are new, in addition to this blog I also am a 2026 writer in residence for the Slow Living Home Magazine. This magazine is “An online magazine & mentoring community of women & homemakers, intentionally holding space for awareness & stability in a rushed and insecure world.” (from the website). I have a lovely column called the Book Nook, where I write book related content based on a monthly theme. For June, the theme was place. With the permission of the lovely Melissa, I am allowed to post my articles here on the blog. Just know there are so many other wonderful articles/columns in this magazine including health, fitness, scripture, recipes, and more! If you are interested in becoming a subscriber (and you definitely should!), here is the link: https://www.patreon.com/cw/slowlivinghomemagazine

Dear Libraries,

I will never be able to fully express my deep love, respect, and gratitude for your impact on my life- but I will give it my best shot.

As a child, there were two facts I knew to be true: my parents loved me and the library was a safe place. I grew up as a military kid whose life revolved around moving and saying goodbye to my dad constantly. To little Kaitlyn, change was inevitable and few things were permanent (note: this was all before I became a Christian). My parents are both avid readers and for most of my childhood I was taken to the library weekly (if not more). My anxious mind always found solace in this temple of knowledge. Storytimes were a basis for my weeks; excitement came in the form of summer reading challenges and new books. As soon as I could read, I devoured books, taking as many home as my mother would allow. I loved to learn about new things and exploring new subgenres of fiction.  In characters like Matilda and Meggie (from Inkheart by Cornelia Funke), I found kindred spirits. Every time my family moved (PCSd), the first place I would seek out- before house, before school, and before playgrounds/outdoor space- was the library. My love for libraries runs deep. 

O libraries! My senses come alive in your four walls! How I love..

The rows of books begging to be browsed

The smell of ink and feel of pages between my fingers

The reassuring beep of the checkout

The chairs drawing me to sit a spell

The soft hum of voices, coming from all walks of life

The giggles of children learning the magic of the library for the first time

Thankfully as I grew older, I never became ‘too cool’ for libraries and for reading. Library nerd was, and still is, my badge of honor. I eventually worked at a library and, truth be told, I would still be there if we had not moved. I still go to the library weekly, put books on hold, and breathe a deep sigh of relief when I walk through those hallowed doors. But now my joy of libraries has reached new bounds. Why?

Because now I get to share it with my daughter. 

From the time she was born, I have shared my love of books and the library. We have gone to storytimes, events, and playdates. Through our time in the aisles, she has been introduced to the wonder of words and the library as another home. She has discovered her love of Llama Llama, Frog and Toad, Little Bear, Winnie the Pooh, Biscuit, Maisie Mouse, Stanley (the hamster), Daniel Tiger, and any books featuring animals. I know she will not remember much from this age- time goes by so fast and I can barely keep up. I just pray she will remember the feeling of safety as she snuggled in my arms, head against my chest, and a stack of books at our side. I hope she will be a forever reader, who sees the libraries as safe spaces to grow and learn and explore. 

I know I will be.

So dear libraries, thank you. Thank you for existing and for being open to all.

Love,

A Grateful Patron

___

Recommended Books set in or about Libraries:

-The Starless Sea by Erin Morgenstern

-The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek by Kim Michele Richardson

-Wonderland Creek by Lynn Austin

-What You are Looking for is in the Library by Michiko Aoyama, translated by Alison Watts

-The Last Chance Library by Freya Sampson

-Summer Hours at the Robbers Library by Sue Halpern 

-Library Girl by Polly Horvath

-The Library by Bella Osborne

There you have it! I would love to hear your memories about libraries growing up- was it your favorite place? Dreaded? Indifferent? Feel free to comment below! Also, for more frequent posts, follow me on instagram @ladybookishblog and feel free to email me at ladybookishblog@gmail.com

Happy Reading!

Lady Bookish