My public library was my favourite place to go when I was a kid. I savoured the peace, quiet and calm. Looking back - my illnesses were WHY I was drawn to the library. Kids need a port in the storm.
Loved reading this, I also loved the library as a child, it was my safe place. As a housebound chronically ill adult I feel so lucky that my local library system continues to save me - not only can I borrow ebooks and audiobooks online, but they have a housebound delivery service! So I can also read books that aren’t available via their online services. I know in the age of huge library cuts this is a real privilege and I’m very lucky
That’s incredible! I should look and see if my library does that as well (I’m also housebound). I’m so glad you have that service - it really can be a lifeline when we’re largely cut off from the world.
Yes! Such a safe haven for me as an undiagnosed autistic child too. I recently looked up my childhood local public library and it’s been demolished to make way for flats 😭
Oh no! That’s the worst! I looked up mine while writing this article and it’s still there and expanded. They took away the ponds out front but otherwise it looks the same. It was on a historical site which is probably keeping it somewhat safe.
Loved this and love libraries. They are very special places and are a place of shelter and support for so many people. I love my local library and when I was growing up library days were the best!!
Thank you for reading! I’m so happy to hear from other people who love libraries as much as I do! Even now I think about how they often offer free wifi and a safe place for people to shelter in bad weather etc… plus all the books. Books are the best!!
Second time I've heard this disease mentioned in a week. Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome. Mom had an aide we thought was perfect, but she has that plus something else and it was too much physical labor for her. I'd never heard of it before last week.
I loved libraries for their quietness. When your life is filled with chaos, sometimes silence is enough. These days, that's not as true with arguments over who will use the computer next and so on. Or maybe it's more about the neighborhoods I've lived in than it is libraries in general. I spent some time writing in the Rose Reading room at the NYPL. It's so beautiful, like stepping through a warp in the time/ space continuum, no one would dare disturb the serenity and silence.
I can’t imagine being an aide with this condition - my joints dislocate just from rolling over in bed. It’s definitely getting more attention these days which is SO needed.
It was once thought of as rare but now it appears it’s probably just chronically underdiagnosed. It can really make life difficult and early diagnosis is SO important so you can get supportive care.
What a brilliant take on childhood chronic illness and the connection with loving libraries! I took found them comforting. And full of information. And gentle adults for the most part.
I appreciate you and your perspective so very much, and I can’t wait to reread this piece again while thinking about the one percolating in my brain.
I was hoping you would enjoy this! Knowing your love of libraries and books I wanted to make sure I hit the right notes… so I appreciate you reading so very much.
It actually took more out of me emotionally than I was expecting - sometimes you need decades of perspective in order to put the pieces together. Back then I thought I was “just a nerd” and now I recognize it went much deeper than that.
I loved how introspective it was! And how it felt like you were making realizations as you wrote. It felt transformative for me, and made me look back on my experiences as a chronically ill/neurodivergent kiddo and why I felt more comfortable in libraries and forests than I did at parties and concerts.
I’m thrilled that came through in the writing - because I absolutely WAS making realizations as I wrote. As I told @Robin Taylor (he/him) … I really didn’t expect to be able to write anything on this subject. I was crying on the bathroom floor trying to read other people’s articles when I realized ‘hey perhaps I spent all that time there BECAUSE I was sick.’
The whole article was one aha moment after another!
Wow nice work on small stack! (Though you may not stay "small" for very much longer!) I love your writing. Thank you for sharing your stories and for being so brave.
Thank you Dr Zha! This one was emotionally draining which I did not expect. I figured “this will be easy! I love libraries! It won’t be like writing about the hysterectomy.” Nope. Odd how our emotions can trick us like that.
I just read another essay that praised the library and I went digging to find it. I’ll share it here if I can remember it! I like how you expanded the safe haven for chronic illness. It’s a sanctuary for so many, and because of the quiet, often those individuals never meet, though likely they’d feel a bit of solidarity with one another. I remember feeling/needing the calm, like a warm bath for my overly-stimulated nervous system.
That’s a fantastic description! It’s absolutely like a warm bath for a stressed nervous system.
If you find the other article I would love to read it - was it also part of the SeedPod? I’ve been slowly going through them - lots of great love letters to libraries!
Thank you Robin! I completely agree - I think we don’t give libraries enough credit for the public service they provide. Even now they’re one of the few places you can get free wifi, sit quietly without judgement and just “exist.”
Thank you very much for this wonderful article. As a child I also spent a great deal of time at the local library though for completely different reasons
Loved reading this, I also loved the library as a child, it was my safe place. As a housebound chronically ill adult I feel so lucky that my local library system continues to save me - not only can I borrow ebooks and audiobooks online, but they have a housebound delivery service! So I can also read books that aren’t available via their online services. I know in the age of huge library cuts this is a real privilege and I’m very lucky
That’s incredible! I should look and see if my library does that as well (I’m also housebound). I’m so glad you have that service - it really can be a lifeline when we’re largely cut off from the world.
Yes! Such a safe haven for me as an undiagnosed autistic child too. I recently looked up my childhood local public library and it’s been demolished to make way for flats 😭
Oh no! That’s the worst! I looked up mine while writing this article and it’s still there and expanded. They took away the ponds out front but otherwise it looks the same. It was on a historical site which is probably keeping it somewhat safe.
Loved this and love libraries. They are very special places and are a place of shelter and support for so many people. I love my local library and when I was growing up library days were the best!!
Thank you for all your writing.
Thank you for reading! I’m so happy to hear from other people who love libraries as much as I do! Even now I think about how they often offer free wifi and a safe place for people to shelter in bad weather etc… plus all the books. Books are the best!!
Books are the best!!!
Second time I've heard this disease mentioned in a week. Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome. Mom had an aide we thought was perfect, but she has that plus something else and it was too much physical labor for her. I'd never heard of it before last week.
I loved libraries for their quietness. When your life is filled with chaos, sometimes silence is enough. These days, that's not as true with arguments over who will use the computer next and so on. Or maybe it's more about the neighborhoods I've lived in than it is libraries in general. I spent some time writing in the Rose Reading room at the NYPL. It's so beautiful, like stepping through a warp in the time/ space continuum, no one would dare disturb the serenity and silence.
And, as you said, the bathrooms are always clean,
I can’t imagine being an aide with this condition - my joints dislocate just from rolling over in bed. It’s definitely getting more attention these days which is SO needed.
It was once thought of as rare but now it appears it’s probably just chronically underdiagnosed. It can really make life difficult and early diagnosis is SO important so you can get supportive care.
What a brilliant take on childhood chronic illness and the connection with loving libraries! I took found them comforting. And full of information. And gentle adults for the most part.
I appreciate you and your perspective so very much, and I can’t wait to reread this piece again while thinking about the one percolating in my brain.
I was hoping you would enjoy this! Knowing your love of libraries and books I wanted to make sure I hit the right notes… so I appreciate you reading so very much.
It actually took more out of me emotionally than I was expecting - sometimes you need decades of perspective in order to put the pieces together. Back then I thought I was “just a nerd” and now I recognize it went much deeper than that.
I loved how introspective it was! And how it felt like you were making realizations as you wrote. It felt transformative for me, and made me look back on my experiences as a chronically ill/neurodivergent kiddo and why I felt more comfortable in libraries and forests than I did at parties and concerts.
I’m thrilled that came through in the writing - because I absolutely WAS making realizations as I wrote. As I told @Robin Taylor (he/him) … I really didn’t expect to be able to write anything on this subject. I was crying on the bathroom floor trying to read other people’s articles when I realized ‘hey perhaps I spent all that time there BECAUSE I was sick.’
The whole article was one aha moment after another!
Wow nice work on small stack! (Though you may not stay "small" for very much longer!) I love your writing. Thank you for sharing your stories and for being so brave.
Thank you Dr Zha! This one was emotionally draining which I did not expect. I figured “this will be easy! I love libraries! It won’t be like writing about the hysterectomy.” Nope. Odd how our emotions can trick us like that.
I just read another essay that praised the library and I went digging to find it. I’ll share it here if I can remember it! I like how you expanded the safe haven for chronic illness. It’s a sanctuary for so many, and because of the quiet, often those individuals never meet, though likely they’d feel a bit of solidarity with one another. I remember feeling/needing the calm, like a warm bath for my overly-stimulated nervous system.
That’s a fantastic description! It’s absolutely like a warm bath for a stressed nervous system.
If you find the other article I would love to read it - was it also part of the SeedPod? I’ve been slowly going through them - lots of great love letters to libraries!
There are so few spaces that allow us simply to be as we are. I'm glad the library could offer that for you. Thank you for sharing!
Thank you Robin! I completely agree - I think we don’t give libraries enough credit for the public service they provide. Even now they’re one of the few places you can get free wifi, sit quietly without judgement and just “exist.”
Thank you very much for this wonderful article. As a child I also spent a great deal of time at the local library though for completely different reasons
Well written as always, Bob
From one library loving kid to another - thank you Bob!