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Our local public library is my favorite store. I love books - all kinds of books - books about crafting, knitting, cooking - biographies - mysteries - a good old Jane Austen love affair. Books inspire me. Creative juices are tapped and visions just flow. I have visions of my niece beaming upon receiving a new creation inspired from a Felted Jewelry book, or visions of one of our granddaughters cuddling up with her hand-knit teddy bear. I can smell the biscuits baking in the oven. I hear the voice of President Obama as a child in Indonesia learning to box with his new stepfather. I can feel the pain of President Bush ordering young Americans to war. I can hear the cannons blasting in the Civil War and the cries of our fathers. I can see Mr. Darcy standing in the fountain with his dripping wet shirt ...
Perhaps my love for books was developed in the parochial school program I attended as a child. The program included weekly time in the school's library. There were book reports of course, but I'm sure I checked out more books than required to. My mother volunteered in the library which was an added bonus for me, seeing my mother during the school day. I recall her sweet smile when she would see me come in, and my heart warms. Perhaps this is why I love books so much.
In college, a took a part-time job working in the campus library to earn spending money. This was the best job! Easy access to all of the books whenever I needed them. Quiet time to study when things were slow. And an opportunity to catch up on the latest campus happenings with everyone who passed by. It is with this job that I learned the ins and outs of a library and the full potential it offers its patrons.
There are so many wonderful crafting, knitting and cooking books on the market. It's hard to tell from the book jacket which are good books for my personal library, and which ones are fun to look at for inspiration but probably not something I would continue to use over and over again. The public library provides a good solution. If I come across a book that looks interesting, I will order it from the library. Our library has a very large and current selection so there is usually no difficulty finding what I'm looking for. Once receiving the book, I spend time with it to digest all that it has to offer. If I can't bear to part with it when it comes due for return, then I put it on my Amazon wish list for a special treat someday. Here are a few of my favorites that have made it on to the shelf in our home.
Wishing something new discovers you today!
