I was ill at the beginning of my first year in junior high school and missed a few months of what is often a pivotal educational year. When I returned to school, kids had established friend’s groups and I struggled to find a place where I fit.  So, I turned to books for company and in fact, the library for a place to fit in.  

These days I’m hearing many stories from our patrons that lead me to believe I’m not the only one with a library story like mine. We all have coping mechanisms to help us handle the challenges life throws at us. Some of these are healthier than others. I’m glad my focus on reading helped me through those middle school years. I’m also grateful for the opportunity to offer this same escape, or coping technique to our community. Through books and movies, Great Courses classes, magazines and digital offerings we have a bunch of ways to forget what’s happening in the world right now and escape to other lands; other worlds where we can be observers and be entertained.  

Over the course of that seventh-grade year, I made new friends and reestablished old friendships, but the library was cemented for me as a safe space, a place where I could hang out, meet people and regroup from a difficult period.  Since many places are once again being shuttered or at least limited I hope that the library can be that for you and your family as well. A place to disconnect for at least a short time from the difficult stuff of life, and a place to reconnect to the kid in you that loved to imagine other worlds, other times, and other places.  I would also ask you to share your library story with us if you have one, we’d love to hear it.