This is beautiful, Anne. It’s so easy for us to take libraries for granted... When my mother was growing up poor in the hot, dry, Georgia summers, libraries were her refuge. Not only did they provide air conditioning- something new in her world and unknown in her neighborhood - they also introduced her to new worlds she never knew existed.
It was in her tiny public library that she first began to see pictures of and read about people who lived very different lives. It was there that she began to dream about and want more for herself.
To this day, she credits libraries with changing her life, and teaching her to build something better for herself - which she, and my father, did.
Thank you for shining a light on this beautiful example of a public/private partnership that serves us all so well.
Oh this is a great story, and I really hope it's still true for many kids and teens growing up right now. I know smart phones give us access to so much in the palm of our hands, but it's not the same refuge, or permission to just explore as you find in a library, nor are phones a community hub. I hope libraries play that role for a looooong time.
This is beautiful, Anne. It’s so easy for us to take libraries for granted... When my mother was growing up poor in the hot, dry, Georgia summers, libraries were her refuge. Not only did they provide air conditioning- something new in her world and unknown in her neighborhood - they also introduced her to new worlds she never knew existed.
It was in her tiny public library that she first began to see pictures of and read about people who lived very different lives. It was there that she began to dream about and want more for herself.
To this day, she credits libraries with changing her life, and teaching her to build something better for herself - which she, and my father, did.
Thank you for shining a light on this beautiful example of a public/private partnership that serves us all so well.
Oh this is a great story, and I really hope it's still true for many kids and teens growing up right now. I know smart phones give us access to so much in the palm of our hands, but it's not the same refuge, or permission to just explore as you find in a library, nor are phones a community hub. I hope libraries play that role for a looooong time.