Libraries have changed since I was a kid. We didn’t have the access to reading material  children and adults have today. I was an avid reader. I was the kid of today with my books — the same way kids are today with their electronics —not able to put my book down even to eat. I constantly was reminded books weren’t allowed at the table. My light would be on late into the night, and if my parents peeked in I would have my nose in a book.

We must have had a grade school library in the Catholic school I attended. I vaguely remember a room where we might have been able to checkout books, but my memory of that is fuzzy. I do remember envying my friends at the public school because they had a nice library in their school.

I also have memories of going with my friend Mary to the Methodist Church library and checking out books during the summer time. There weren’t many other avenues to check out books when school was out. There were no electronics to make spur of the moment decisions on what to read. We had to find a library or find a bookstore or place where books were sold. I myself was also in love with comic books, and I was very lucky because Hanson Drug Store, next to my dad’s shoe store, sold comics. And my parents and others bought them for me.

As a teenager, I spent many hours in the school library, especially during study hall. We had to be quiet in the library, and there were no electronics in those days. We respected the space — most of the time.

When my children were home, they too liked to read, and our community libraries and school libraries became very familiar to them. Communities recognized reading was an important part of education and relaxation for the younger ones and found adults loved to use libraries too. Because of this, many towns upgraded or found a place for a library.

I will admit I don’t use libraries as frequently as I should, although I love visiting them. I have a problem with libraries — I have to give the books back, and I have a hard time doing that. It is exciting to see small communities introducing new experiences and innovations for their readers.

My community’s library, the Wells Public Library, has some exciting events for a small town. On April 13, Minnesota author William Kent Krueger will be visiting and speaking. Another event coming up on June 27 is something I am involved in. The Twin Cities Sisters In Crime will present an author’s panel. Since I am a member, I will be on the panel along with Allen Eskens, Pat Dennis, Barbara Deese, Christina Glendenning, Jessie Chandler and Sisters In Crimec President Timya Owen. Our library offers adult coloring, reading groups, children’s activities and more.

Since our library has added a coffee bar you will often see me there in the quiet atmosphere pounding away on my keyboard writing my next book or even this column. My community doesn’t have a coffee house, which is a place I love to go to write, but the library is also a great place for me to spin my yarns.

Reading has been one of my greatest joys in life. I am so blessed my parents encouraged me to read, use the library and find a world opened up to me because of it. In the past few years I have become reacquainted with not just the library in my community but in other communities as well.

Albert Lea has a beautiful library, so does Northfield, Mankato, Shakopee, Kiester and even the small community of Walters has a small library and a coffee group that meets when the mobile library truck comes to town. They are all uniquely different but wonderful in their own way.

The libraries have had to adjust to the electronic age and many now have computers and iPads that can be used while at the library. And they don’t just have paperback and hardcover books but also electronic books using their own system.

If you haven’t been to a library recently or haven’t given your children or grandchildren the experiences of attending the special events or the chance to choose a library book to take home to read, I highly recommend the experience. Go online or visit to find out the special events the library is hosting. It will expand your world in a way you never imagined.

This is dedicated to the libraries and their staff who work hard to keep up with the world today and share that with their readers.

 

Wells resident Julie Seedorf’s column appears every Monday. Send email to her at hermionyvidaliabooks@gmail.com. Her Facebook page is http://www.facebook.com/julie.