My First Library Card - this week On The Children's Shelf

I went to preschool in our local library. Yes, there was an actual preschool downstairs in the library. Although I was only three or four, I distinctly remember climbing the stairs up to the children’s section. I loved when we visited the children’s room. I can still remember exactly what it looked like. I remember how the sun shone through the giant windows. I remember wandering through the shelves of books. I thought it was the most magical place.

My preschool class would visit the library for a special storytime. Those were my favorite days. I couldn’t wait to hear what book would be read on each visit.

I was thrilled when I was old enough to get my own library card. To me, that library card was a key that opened the door to hundreds of different worlds. I could pick any book that I wanted. I could bring home picture books, chapter books, nonfiction, fiction. Anything my heart desired.

My mom recently found my first library card. It’s not the credit card computer scannable library card like the ones we have today. It is paper and has a little metal bar on it. It’s from the days of card catalogs and manually stamped book check out cards. It isn’t fancy but to me it’s still incredibly special.

The thing I loved about the library as a child was being able to pick whatever books I wanted and as many as I wanted (within reason). I felt so grown up when I held that library card. When my children were younger, the thing I loved about taking them to the library was seeing the books they chose. Being able to give them that opportunity to pick whichever and however many books they want gives them such a feeling of empowerment. A library card is so much more than simply a card to borrow books. It is most certainly a key into new worlds. It’s a ticket to travel to visit old friends. It’s a way to explore new places. It’s a passport to other lands.

Jessica Collins is an award-winning writer who has earned National acclaim for her series On The Children's Shelf. Visit On the Children's Shelf HERE to follow Jessica's reading journey.