Community Engagement | Lifelong Learning
When you have access to a library, you’re never alone.
Libraries have made a huge difference in my life. I had very strict parents who didn’t allow me to watch much television – or to go to parties when I was in high school! They did allow me to read, however. We spent a ton of time in the local library in my hometown of Chappaqua, New York.
When I was in fourth grade, I read A Tree Grows in Brooklyn by Betty Smith, and like the main character, Francie, I began to read through the library stacks in alphabetical order. In high school, when I got into fantasy novels, the librarians would flag new releases in that genre, and save them for me behind the desk so that I could plow through the books during winter or summer vacation from classes. I hung out with my friends in the library, babysit my five younger siblings in the library, and when I had my own kids, I began bringing them to the library so that I could introduce them to the magic of books.
What I love about libraries today is that they are a place where anyone and everyone can gather. No one is excluded. The library is a safe place to find books, but also to find shelter and relief from the outside world. Librarians are the unsung heroes of our communities. Our public libraries make our society better in general.
When we moved to Savannah in May of 2020, we were under a lot of stress. My husband had just lost his job in New York, and we had to move out of our apartment in Brooklyn overnight. We were lucky enough to find a great house in Savannah, where my husband was born and raised, but we arrived during a time when the pandemic had completely morphed everyday life. We had two young children, and it was hard to meet new friends or find safe ways to entertain them.
One of the first things I did after moving was register for a library card at the Bull Street Library. Many of our days became centered around visiting the library, choosing out books and then bringing them home to read. We loved the book bundles put together by the children’s librarians, as well as the art kits that we could make at our kitchen table. The more time we spent using the library’s resources, the more we got to know the staff, and often, they were the brightest spot in my day, chatting with kids, and making me feel less lonely in my new hometown.
It was a no-brainer for me, when presented with the opportunity, to give back to the library system that has given me so much over the past two years – and hopefully for many more years to come. The Bull Street Library is truly my happy place. Any time I feel down at all, I visit, and almost immediately feel my spirits lifted in talking to the circulation desk employees, or perusing some of the new releases in the children’s section.
When you have access to a library, you’re never alone. You can use the library to find books that will open portals to other worlds. Or, you can use the library to find peace and shelter from the chaos of the outside world. In a world where civic institutions are disappearing, libraries remain one of the only places you can go for free, and know that you are welcome.
~ Brienne Walsh
Chair, Chatham County Library Board
Member, Regional Library Board of Trustees
August 18, 2022
