Please share with us the story of your favorite library!
These are photos of Warsaw University's library in Warsaw, Poland where I attended undergrad. It was one of my favorite places to study, for obvious reasons. This library building was opened in 1999 and its design is truly awe-inspiring not something you would typically see in the 90s. My favorite space was the atrium. As the name implies, it was a large room with a glass ceiling that let the sunlight pour in and plenty of tables for studying. - Manda (CSU Librarian)
It is the old Prescott Public Library, or the Carnegie Library, built in 1903 and still the one in use when I was a child. It was getting crowded, especially in the basement in the children's section, so I understood why the town (once the Arizona Territory's capital) built the new one in 1974. Ah, but it was a grand old - little - library on the main street, at 125 E. (photo retrieved from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carnegie_Library_(Prescott,_Arizona) ) Gurley! - David Alegre
Local library in Glencoe, MN: Small, but mighty! It was my Grandma's favorite place and so it was my favorite place as a child. I am very grateful that my Grandma instilled a love of reading in me at a young age. The library is now located it what was my middle school, which brings back even more memories :) - Jacqueline Beverly
The Indiana University main library is located in Bloomington, Indiana. My dad took me to the graduate side, referred to as a tower, when I was a kid. I'd never been in a library tower. I was awe-stricken and filled with desire to be a part of it. The architecture is not fancy, but the immensity of it was inspiring to me. Both towers were favorite places when I went to school there. - Caroline Sheely
May Memorial Library, Burlington, NC - Of all of the places I've lived and of all of the libraries I've visited, this is my favorite. May Memorial has a great selection of books in all kinds of genres and nice spaces to sit and read. Their programming is top-notch as well. My children and I spent a lot of time there when they were small. Such treasured memories! - Laura Rhoden
When we were on campus and before e-textbooks were available, I loved going to down to the first floor and checking out a textbook from our CSU library. Our impressive librarian team always helped me to find the book that I was looking for and I always enjoyed the changes they made around the room. They always made the room inviting. I miss our fun times together and the laughter we share when a book was missing and found out later, I still had it at my desk. Thank you, CSU librarian team, for all that you do to assist the students, and us. Happy National Library Week! - Dawn Dunson
Growing up, the library (any branch) was my favorite place to visit. As an Air Force 'brat' I had to move every few years to a new city or country! No matter where we went, the library welcomed me with books, entertainment and a quiet place to study. I remember getting my library card as soon as I could sign my name; it was quite a big day for me! Then being able to walk to the Bookmobile in our little town with my sister, I felt so grown up. A teacher once told me that if you make books your friends, you can travel anywhere. And I know that wherever I traveled, the library could provide hours of learning, enjoyment and diversion. As a student here at CSU, our library was invaluable and the librarians were very helpful. Thank you to Jennifer and her team of superstars! - Candace Rounds
When I was in grade school, my mom was completing her master's degree at University of Wisconsin LaCrosse. She frequently had to study in town so she would take my brother and I with her to the LaCrosse Library. We would spend hours picking out books and reading there while she wrote papers and studied. It's not the biggest or most impressive library, but I have the most memories here. - Rachel Iverson
I grew up in a family of storytellers. Writers, poets, musicians. My grandma was a librarian. For 13 years she walked across the street from her home in Atmore, AL to the small public library to work. As a child, summer visits - well - any visit to G'ma K's house was not complete without a trip across the street to the library. I can still remember the sounds and smells of the building and the wonderland that the books revealed. This little library is closed now and a bigger, more modern building is in another part of town. My G'ma was also a very talented artist. She was a painter and also carved birds and other creatures out of driftwood. There is a permanent display of her work in the new library. But this little ones will always remain a significant part of my childhood and my upbringing and memories of my Grandma. - Elizabeth Kennington
I am from the days of having to look up books in the card catalogs when I went to the library. One of our parents would drop me and my friends off at the library and we would spend the day working on our book report/assignment. We would usually see other friends there doing the same thing. We would cut-up a little and although we had fun, we did get the books we needed to get our assignments done. I can still remember the smell. Great memories. - Cherea Schellhase
Ben May Main Library, Downtown Mobile, AL. Growing up in West Mobile, we didn't visit the main library downtown often but when we did, it was always memorable. The flyover walkways, walls of books and big comfortable reading chairs were magical to me as a young person, and I was thankful for such a beautiful, safe place to allow my imagination to run wild. My four brothers and I likely terrorized the librarians during those long summer vacations, but we soaked up all the library had to offer: summer reading programs, puppet shows, piano and vocal concerts, etc. I love passing on that tradition to my kids and we really enjoy our local library, Thomas B. Norton in Gulf Shores, AL. Libraries hold a special place in my heart and our communities. So thankful for the important work our librarians do, especially here at CSU for our students. - Kay Jenkins
Bay Minette (AL) Public Library: When I was growing up, this was my "go to spot" when my mom had to work so I wouldn't be stuck with a babysitter. The smell of those old books just drew me in, and I would spend hours curled up in a chair reading about places I always wanted to see. I would check out more than a few books every week and always made sure to return them on time so I could check out more! The original library was very small, but after I left the area, they moved the library to an old church building and remodeled it. To this day, I read between 2 and 3 books a week, mostly on my Kindle, but I still love to visit the library and check out "real" books. - Tina Cox
Meridian Junior College Library (now Meridian Community College). A lot of personal things happened to me when I entered college as a young 17 year old. I quickly became enlightened to adulthood and all that comes with it. This college and the people that were in it hold dear memories in my heart. I went to school here, I worked here, I studied here, and I had many life lessons and experiences while I attended. Ironically, one of my jobs at MJC (it will always be MJC to me), was working in the Registrar's Office. And here I am today, full circle. If Minnie Bryan and Dr. Bahr could only see me now. The internet pictures show a much different library than the one I spent many an hour in, so I am including a picture of the iconic murals on the main building. Many times I went in and out of those doors and it is the education I received (academic and real life) on the other side that I treasure the most. This is where I learned about the real world and how to take a stand for all the I believe in. I worked in the library shelving books but also spent many years utilizing conference room space in the library to tutor others in math. This is a job that carried over for a couple of decades. Old fashioned card catalogs and index cards for "proper" note taking are positive triggers from the library. Loved looking for a pile of books to find, read, and research MLA style! The scientist in me loves to research and read and analyze data. Now, I read from digital media unless I am doing a Bible study or when I was taking classes for my masters. However, I am looking forward to the new library being built in Foley. I took my children to many programs at our local libraries and visited the book mobile quite often. When driving by libraries in new towns or on vacation, the most impressive ones to me are those that are in an old church or a long-standing building that is small and quaint. I can only imagine the amount of information that can be discovered in places such as those, regardless of size. A little funny is that the library at my high school library was where we had "study hall" and had to be quiet. Not my forte as a chatty little teenager, so the coaches usually pulled me out and let me go to the weight room or the gym instead. :-) I also spent a lot of time at the library at University of West Florida and Mississippi State University. But my favorites will always be MJC and the bookmobile from Baldwin County libraries that travelled to Lillian when my kids were little! - Laura Metz
I grew up in Martin, TN, and the library from my childhood was a historic building. It used to be a post office and was transformed into a fantastic library space. I knew that building forwards and backwards. It was the best space, with the entire basement being the children's library. I had so much fun there. The city in more recent years made the decision to expand on their library offerings to the community and constructed a new building. It has become the literal center of the community. It's bright and open. It also offers far more community amenities than the other building could accomplish, so a lot of time, thought, and funds went into constructing it. It's a lovely space, and I'm very proud of my hometown for taking the initiative to invest in the community in this way. - Ashley Harris
I have several favorite libraries, but the two most important to me are my hometown library and my college library. My hometown library introduced me to the world of books, and my college library showed me how I could make it a profession. Each has laid the foundation of who I am today; I am very grateful. - Jennifer Steinford