Today marks the last day of National Library Week for 2023; a week to celebrate libraries and their tireless efforts in supporting and advocating for our communities in innumerable ways. The library is one of the few places in America that has free resources that range from the lending of books, music, magazines, movies, printing stations, study areas, circle time, community-based activities, tax prep, and so much more. It’s a haven for many and it’s upsetting that they’ve been under fire. Book bans and threats of closing libraries have been sweeping the American nation. Ironically, these efforts are consistently backed by those who don’t even read or use the library. Haters and Non-reading Nancys. Funny how that always seems to happen.
My Mama would always say “Can’t have nothing.” Yes, I’m aware this is a double negative and if you aren’t familiar with AAVE, then you’d think she’s saying “she has something,” but that’s not what she means. Usually, when we use it in the Black/African American community, we mean that we cannot have something for ourselves because there’s always a threat underway. It’s like making moves while anticipating that whatever the experience is will be short-lived. How libraries and the communities they support are being treated by politicians and their minions, the feeling is mutual. They literally can’t have nothing. Emphasis on the NOTHING. If the library can’t have nothing, then by proxy the communities can’t either.
The purpose of this post is for me to share my library story in support of National Library Week. I’m going to stop myself from going on a tangent. I will not rant about the book bans and library closure threats and I will not regurgitate what’s available on the American Library Association (ALA) website. If you seek more information, please follow this link to the ALA website. There you will find more information about the book bans and National Library Week 2023 than I ever could realistically fit into this post.
My experience with libraries is vast and many of my core memories are with books. For the sake of brevity, I’ll share my earliest and one that’s not book related but has stuck with me all this time. The earliest memory I have of being in a library was when my mother took me after picking me up from my Aunt’s house. The library felt huge to me. In retrospect, if I were an adult at that time, it was small. I recall walking around and admiring how tall the shelves were. Stacked with books of all sizes. My mother was signing up for a library card while I walked around. Note: This was in the 90s. Back then, people used to leave their kids in the car while they shopped for groceries. It was a different time then and I was allowed to freely peruse the shelves.
I don’t remember if there was a children’s section, but I do remember three shelves, aligned in the shape of an open square, highlighted by a beacon of light. I’m not sure if it was my child’s brain at the time, but it seemed like that section was calling me. Everywhere else was dim, almost dark. Hence, this area stood out. I went and got comfortable in a corner of the shelves with 2-3 books. I vividly remember one of them and it was titled The Boy With Square Eyes, a book about the consequences of sitting too close to the television. It’s an impactful book and the main reason I sit so far from the tv and don’t watch a lot of it either.
Access to that book and many others was only made possible through the library. Don’t get me wrong, my parents didn’t mind purchasing books for me. However, other needs had to be met, and books are expensive. Why not utilize the library for its intended services? It’s cost-effective and a nice outing.
Up to this day, I still frequent my libraries and I’m thankful that they all have a diverse selection of books available to their patrons and the number of books I can check out at once is a book nerd’s dream. I don’t know how I’d cope if the library wasn’t accessible.
In addition to being a free source of books and other media, the library was the go-to place for tax documents. Odd memory to have, but I always remembered my mother picking up a 1040 booklet from the library. Back in the stone age. lol j/k I remember her doing taxes by hand with her scratch sheet and calculating machine aka a calculator. She may or may not have asked for assistance with anything, but in any case, I’m confident that the library staff were more than helpful.
Libraries are a necessary fixture in all communities. Their purpose for existing is more than housing books. Take the time to visit your local library more often. If you aren’t able to do that, get an e-library card and borrow ebooks from your library. Keep them open and active. Utilize their devices. They continuously support YOU, so support and amplify them wherever you can.
Shout out to my home away from home. The Library!
Happy National Library Week!
