The Library: My Personal Sanctuary

I absolutely LOVE libraries. My mother told me that this love began before my first birthday, when she would take me to our local library in the first town I lived in. I was even issued a library card, which I would try to put in my mouth (along with the other cloth books in the children's section), but overall I was a well-behaved baby during my visits. Somehow, I imitated the adults by remaining quiet when I was in this place filled with books, and I loved to look at the pictures and listen to my mother and the library storytellers read from their colorful pages during children’s story hours.

As I grew, my love of books and the library grew with me. I was always excited to go to the library after school or on a Saturday afternoon, because there was always at least one book to discover and check out. I also found that I was more relaxed and productive if I did my work at the library rather than at home. The quiet environment and studious atmosphere continues to inspire me to complete my work.

When I lived in Indonesia for a year, accessible libraries were impossible to find. I missed how easy it was to walk into a library off the street, browse through the aisles, or read books and magazines at a quiet table. There are many book stores there, but the over-eager salespeople and loud customers were always nearby to interrupt. It was during my time in Indonesia that I realized how important libraries are to me. When my sister and I visited Melbourne, Australia right before I moved back to the U.S.A., we purposely visited the State Library of Victoria, which is a beautiful building in and of itself. My sister even took pictures of me looking around at grand library and opening books without my knowing it. I laugh at those pictures now, but at the time I was just so happy to be in a library again.

Do you have personal sanctuaries that are unique to you?