Celebrate Library Week 2018

In Meiners Oaks, where I lived during the biggest portion of my school years, our library was housed in a Quonset hut less than two blocks away from my home. I wish I had a picture of it. It was a branch of the Ventura County library system and is long-gone now.

I spent many evenings there, especially during the summer months, perched on a stool sampling books I wanted to read. The librarian was a older lady (I thought she was ancient) by the name of Mrs. Lett-Haynes. She was a not only nice to children, but often made suggestions about books she thought I’d like. And during my high school years, she kept an eye on the subject matter I chose. But I’ll get to that later.

During 5th and 6th grade, I favored animal books—Spike of Swift River, Lassie, Lassie Come Home, Call of the Wild, Bambi, Black Beauty—all the kids classics. When the movie Little Women came out, I launched into Louisa May Alcott’s books and read them all. I also became interested in historical novels, like the Hornblower series, and those about well-known people, such as Lady Jane Grey. I even named my cat Emma after a character in a book.

After I saw movie From Here to Eternity, I decided to read the book. At the time, the book was considered unsuitable for someone my age. One day Mrs. Lett-Haynes stopped my mother on the street and said, “I thought you ought to know Gloria is reading From Here to Eternity.” My mother never censored the books her children read, and she told her it was okay, since I’d read the first half when I was visiting my sister in Lake County.

If it hadn’t been for the little library in a Quonset hut, I probably wouldn’t have been able to read all those books, far too many to mention. Libraries, how I love them.

CELEBRATE LIBRARY WEEK!