“Nine Lives” by Varjak, Paul
“With the Rich and Mighty” by Connor, Macaulay
While there are almost no card catalogues left in libraries, there is still the virtual thrill of looking up one’s book in the computer or on-line catalogue. “Chanel Bonfire” by Lawless, Wendy. It is an unbeatable thrill — different from finding the book in a store or having it become a bestseller.
I think this may be because, for most of us, going to the library for the first time is a major event. A library card is probably the first piece of ID a person can have. It’s also a matter of pride for a child; it declares to the world that the bearer of this card is “a reader”, a person who can read. It also comes with responsibility. When you take out a book, your name, your card number, is put down as the person responsible for that book for the next two weeks. In the old days, your name would be hand written on the book’s card and the date hand stamped.
My first library card was issued by the New York Public Library. Since then I’ve had many cards from different libraries. And I’m so pleased to find my book in The Glendale Public Library where I live, The Pasadena Public Library where I wrote some of the book, The Los Angeles and West Hollywood Public Libraries where we first took our children, the small red brick Carnegie public library in Hancock, New Hampshire, where our family live and, of course The New York Public Library where my sister still lives and where I plan to visit the book next time I’m in town. Provided it’s not out!
