Libraries always remind me that there are good things in this world – Lauren Ward, American singer and actress (1970- )
To add a library to a house is to give that house a soul – Cicero, Roman statesman, lawyer, scholar, writer (106BC-43BC)
As a child my mother took me to the library weekly. Mom was an avid reader, mostly for crime and history stories. I learned to love to read, in fact I can’t go to sleep unless I’ve read something every night. Last week I stopped by the Columbus Lowndes Public Library. The library was beautiful. I stood there until I heard a voice from upstairs. Mother Goose of course. I joined her, chatted and watched those precious children with their books.
Back home I discovered a newspaper clipping my mother saved, she’d do that. The clipping was almost 30 years old and well stiffed and yellowed. I thought you might like to read a part of it below:
“I need some help, the man said, “I have a library card, but I don’t read so well. Can you help my boy pick out some books?” “Certainly,” the librarian replied. “Let’s go look for some books.” The father was silent for a while then whispered to the librarian, “I quit school when I was in the seventh grade. Now I pay for it, but I don’t want my boy suffer because of me. I want to make sure he has books to read and stays in school” The librarian offered, “Come with me.” The father with the librarian found four books, he said “I have a library card.” The librarian said, “Your boy should have his own card, within a minute she presented the boy with a laminated card. The librarian was pleased to see the father was as good as his word. Every Saturday he showed up and the boy chooses three or four books. The father started picking out one book for himself. Soon the librarian told the father, “That boy is reading several levels above his school grade level, he loves history and biographies.”
“All it took was a responsible parent who was interested in his child. This was a parent who knew first hand the penalties society places on those who lack basic skills. And there was a determination that the cycle would be broken. This was just good parenting, plain and simple. Never did the father ask for any help from anyone else other than the librarian, no social workers, no professionals on writing, no government agency involved but the kind librarian”
The author of this story published it 30 years ago, the paper now yellowed and stiff from resting in momma’s shoebox, his last line asked that the story be repeated and shared with others, he wrote “It’s a story that you want to see repeated.”
Shannon Bardwell is a writer living quietly in the Prairie. Email reaches her at [email protected].
You can help your community
Quality, in-depth journalism is essential to a healthy community. The Dispatch brings you the most complete reporting and insightful commentary in the Golden Triangle, but we need your help to continue our efforts. In the past week, our reporters have posted 32 articles to cdispatch.com. Please consider subscribing to our website for only $2.30 per week to help support local journalism and our community.
You can help your community
Quality, in-depth journalism is essential to a healthy community. The Dispatch brings you the most complete reporting and insightful commentary in the Golden Triangle, but we need your help to continue our efforts. In the past week, our reporters have posted 32 articles to cdispatch.com. Please consider subscribing to our website for only $2.30 per week to help support local journalism and our community.
