Posted on February 15, 2021 at 8:00 AM by Sadye Scott-Hainchek
Take Your Child to the Library Day was first celebrated in Waterford, Connecticut, in 2012, and it quickly caught on across the nation.
Of course, in 2021, it was difficult for many of us (if not impossible) to mark it the way that seems the most obvious — by taking a child to the library.
So instead, we asked our Facebook followers to share a favorite memory of either being the child taken to the library or of taking a child (any child) to the library.
Here are some of the stories that especially warmed our hearts — we hope they do the same for you!
Andrea V.
My mom would take my siblings and I to our little town library in Hartland, Maine.
Our librarian was a little old lady who was very rigid and stern. No talking or whispering!
I loved watching her open our books and turn to the back, take her date stamp, stamp our card, stamp the book and file the card in her index file on her desk.
Sometimes she would have to put a new date sheet in our books when the other one was filled up.
She would take the musilage bottle with the pink rubber tip and squeeze out the glue and stick a new one in. I loved watching her ministrations. I later found out that she was a descendant of Daniel Webster. I loved our little library!
Bonnie M.
I used to take my four kids to the library three times a week: Monday, Wednesday, Friday.
We checked out books and movies. As time went on, more books than movies. Now they are all grown. They all love books books books and more books.
One of my sons had a reading/comprehension difficulty until the sixth grade, when he found a sci/fi book to read that interested him.
When he finished it, he realized it was a trilogy, so he had to keep reading. Now he is going for his bachelor's in geophysics.
The four of them all are way above average intelligence, have rewarding careers, and productive lives. I know without a doubt, the library is a large part of that!
Brittany S.
When my youngest son was a baby, the first time he sat up on his own was at story time. He’ll be seven in a few days and is a massive reader.
Carol S.
My Indiana hometown had a Carnegie library that I can still smell! One of my favorites was the summer reading program.
One summer each of us had a paper kite; when we read a book, we added a paper bow to the tail. Another summer it was a racetrack; finish a book, add a race car.
Ellen P.
I had to make a rule that my younger kids couldn't take out more books than they could carry. Sometimes fifty or more books at a time.
Very first thing I did when we moved was change my driver's license so we could sign up for a library card. My kids considered that top priority.
Ginnie V.
Just the smell of the old paper and little Miss McDonald the librarian, four feet tall, glasses and her beautiful white hair in a tight bun, wool skirt and pretty sweater.
She stamped the date in the card and on the page in the book, so official!
Jenni D.
I remember my dad taking me to the library because he had a meeting to go to ... and I sat and read Bunnicula all the way through. I finished JUST as he came back to pick me up.
I'm almost fifty now and I still love that story. I love that it's the family cat and dog that tell the story.
Jennifer M.
I lived at the library when I was in high school. I waited for my parents to pick me up from there, studied there and read great fiction novels there.
When I return to my hometown, I always stop by that same library. Such fantastic childhood memories built in a fantastic place
Karen C.
I loved libraries as a child! When I was older I could walk to the one in town, often with my mother. My daddy would take me on Saturdays to another one.
When I was in high school he got a card in another town that was bigger and drive both of there.
I was fortunate when my kids were little that we had one in our village we could walk to, but also four others we would drive to!
Karen K.
We lived a good distance from the library so it was an event to go. If you checked out books and didn't get them returned in time it was a serious offense in our house! Kinda like being late on a mortgage payment.
Lesley C.
Friday night visits to Kaitangata library. Limited selection so took the same books out repeatedly. They're still part of the landscape of my mind. Candy bar on the way home...
Nancy M.
My grandma took me to the library every Saturday beginning when I was three or four years old. I can't remember a time when I couldn't read even though I'm sure I was older than that.
In her later years, I would take her to the library or the bookmobile when it was near her home.
Sarah L.
I have great memories as a child. The library was at the bottom of the road; the road was so long that Dad used to take me on his work bike.
I was sitting on the very edge of the seat holding on to handle bars (this was in the ’80s). I loved it. The Tiger Who Came To Tea was always a favourite.