LibraryHere is where peopleOne Frequently FindsLower their voicesAnd raise their mindsRichard Armour
As a teenager I used to babysit. One particular evening I baby sat an 18 month year old girl. Her mom gave me all the normal instructions: suggested bed time, favourite toy and phone numbers in case of emergency. Easy!
So when the little girl got tired I put her in her cot. 20 minutes of screaming later, I still didn’t know what she wanted. Finally I worked out she was pointing to a crate of books. I handed her one book. Nope, still not happy. I gave her another. Still screaming. I just gave up and put the crate in her cot.
Then I watched as this little 18month old carefully chose about 10 books, laid them on her mattress and motioned for me to take the crate away.And then she fell asleep….on the books.
One instruction the mother failed to mention. But I should have known better: She was a librarian.
As a teacher I go to the school library regularly.But it is more fun when I take my daughter. The joy in her face when she picks up a new book is wonderful to see. The only difficult part of our library experience is convincing her that we have to give the books back!
I think the reason why libraries are such magical places is that they give us knowledge and a safe haven to dream. As Pete Hammil says “…the road to the treasure house of the imagination begins at the public library”
When was the last time you went to a library? If you haven’t gone in a while then I suggest heading to your local library on the 9th April. You see the first public library is said to have been opened on the 9th April 1883.
What do you and your family (or students) love about libraries?
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Ainslie Hunter is a proud mum of a spirited toddler, teacher of children with Learning Disabilities and Special Needs and blogger. When not hanging out on Parentella you will find her giving the very best study tips and tricks over at Study Skills Mentor.
