Libraries have shaped my life in countless ways since my earliest childhood days. Those quiet spaces filled with endless possibilities have been my refuge, my classroom, and my adventure portal for nearly five decades. My relationship with books and libraries began in the most formative years of my life and continues to influence who I am today.
Where It All Began: Lynbrook Public Library
My love affair with libraries began around 1974 when I started kindergarten at Our Lady of Peace School in Lynbrook, NY. The Lynbrook Public Library2 —a beautiful Neoclassical Revival building that was recently nominated by New York Governor Kathy Hochul for the State and National Registers of Historic Places—became my second home, especially during those magical summer months.
Summer Reading Adventures
Some of my fondest childhood memories involve my mother taking all four of us kids to the library during summer breaks. The children’s librarian ran a summer reading program that I embraced with boundless enthusiasm. I can still vividly recall the joy of returning home with towering stacks of books each week, devouring them quickly, and eagerly returning for more.
I was such a dedicated reader that I kept meticulous lists of all the books I read each summer—numbering in the hundreds (I wish I still had those!). My commitment to the Summer Reading Club even earned me a Certificate of Achievement in 1981, a treasured document I’ve kept all these years. That certificate must have meant the world to my young bibliophile heart.
Literary Companions Through the Years
My reading tastes evolved through well-worn library pathways. I started with Beverly Cleary’s Ramona books before graduating to Judy Blume’s coming-of-age novels like “Are You There God, It’s Me, Margaret,” “Otherwise Known as Sheila the Great,” and “Blubber.” Paula Danziger’s “The Cat Ate My Gymsuit” spoke to my adolescent anxieties, while Donald J. Sobal’s Encyclopedia Brown satisfied my love of mysteries.
But nothing compared to my obsession with Nancy Drew. I made it my mission to read EVERY yellow-spined adventure of the teenage sleuth that I could get my hands on. As I grew older, my reading expanded to include Sweet Valley High books and Madeline L’Engle’s more complex worlds. I developed a completionist streak early—if an author wrote a series, I felt compelled to read every single installment.
Beyond Pleasure Reading: The Library as Classroom
The library wasn’t just for leisure reading. Long before the internet, those shelves and reference desks became my academic lifeline. Whether for science fair projects, book reports, or speech writing, I spent countless hours with the Readers’ Guide to Periodical Literature and navigating the physical card catalog. I remember feeling such a sense of accomplishment mastering these research tools.
The microfiche machines made me feel like a detective, examining newspapers and magazines from years past, carefully spending dimes to make copies of important pages. Sometimes I’d discover a classmate working on the identical project when we’d cross paths at the library on weekends—a minor disaster in a child’s academic world!
I think I even took a Red Cross Babysitters Class at the library, further cementing its place as a center for learning and personal growth in my young life.
Our Lady of Peace School Library: Small But Mighty
The Our Lady of Peace school library holds equally cherished memories. Mrs. McLaughlin, our librarian, knew exactly which books would capture our young imaginations. For some reason, “A Diller, A Dollar: Rhymes and Sayings for the Ten O’Clock Scholar” by Lillian Morrison was extraordinarily popular—perhaps igniting my early interest in poetry.
“The Doll’s House” by Rumer Godden was another favorite, along with every single one of the Borrowers books by Mary Norton. The school library may have been smaller than the public library, but it was no less influential in developing my reading identity.
From Young Reader to English Literature Major
Given my childhood immersion in libraries, it’s hardly surprising that I eventually earned a degree in English Literature. College libraries became my sanctuary, where term papers and research projects came to life among the stacks. Later, as a paralegal student, I discovered yet another dimension of library magic in the specialized law libraries during two semesters of Legal Research and Writing.
Building My Own Library Legacy
As an adult, I’ve created my own mini-library at home. My collection includes beloved classics from my childhood, like “The Doll’s House,” literary staples such as “The Chosen” and “A Separate Peace,” various poetry and literary anthologies spanning centuries of literature, and a substantial collection of genealogy research books.
Perhaps my most treasured acquisition is my complete set of classic yellow-cover Nancy Drew books (numbers 1-55) that I found on Facebook Marketplace. The 90-minute round trip to retrieve them was a small price to pay for reclaiming such a significant part of my reading history. Though half my collection remains boxed up for lack of space, I dream of one day having a room large enough to properly display all my literary treasures.
Passing the Torch
One of my greatest joys has been watching my son develop the same library habit—returning home with his own impressive stacks of books and music. Seeing him navigate library shelves with the same enthusiasm I once had brings my relationship with libraries full circle.
Looking Ahead: Library Adventures to Come
While much of my research now happens online, I plan to reconnect more deeply with physical libraries in the future. I have tentative plans to attend RootsTech next year, which of course will include exploring the Family History Library. I also hope to visit the Allen County Public Library in Ft. Wayne, Indiana—a mecca for genealogical research.
Closer to home, I’m excited that my local Hamilton County library system in Ohio has become a Family History Affiliate Library, offering resources I can’t access from home. These specialized collections will support my ongoing genealogical research, opening yet another chapter in my lifelong relationship with libraries.
Libraries: More Than Buildings
Libraries have been the constant in my intellectual journey—from an elementary schoolgirl falling in love with Ramona Quimby to a genealogist tracing family histories. They’ve shaped not just my reading habits but my educational path, career choices, and even how I’m raising my son.
Whether housed in historic buildings like the Lynbrook Public Library, small school rooms, university campuses, or specialized research centers, libraries remain magical places where curiosity is rewarded and the next great discovery is just a shelf away.
Between the pages of books and the shelves of libraries, I found not just stories, but myself.
- “Public Library, Lynbrook, Long Island, N.Y.” (postcard: Eagle Post Card Co., Inc., New York, n.d.); Historic Postcards of Lynbrook, N.Y., Historical Society of East Rockaway and Lynbrook, New York Heritage Digital Collections (https://nyheritage.contentdm.oclc.org/digital/collection/p16373coll85/id/800/rec/50 : accessed 11 May 2025). ↩︎
- “Governor Hochul Announces 20 Nominations for State and National Registers of Historic Places,” Governor Kathy Hochul (https://www.governor.ny.gov/news/governor-hochul-announces-20-nominations-state-and-national-registers-historic-places : accessed 11 May 2025). ↩︎
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