The Library

The Library. 

I had the opportunity yesterday to attend another author talk at the North Richland Hill's Library. My neighbor and fellow bibliophile joined me for a fascinating account of the famous Los Angeles Library Fire of 1986. 

Susan Orlean, the author of The Library began her talk with memories of her own love affair with the library from her childhood. Her mother was key in this lifelong habit of books, libraries and writing. 

I couldn't help but remember fondly my own introduction to the library by my father. I was probably around eight years old when we began visiting the library on a regular basis. Every time I have ever moved as an adult, one of the first things I do is visit my local library to get my library card. 

To this day libraries are still one of my favorite places. As Orlean recounted the tragic day that the LA library burned, one of the guests in the audience shared that she had actually lived there at the time, and was one of the volunteers who helped to pack the surviving books. Due to the possibility of mold, the books were actually kept in freezers throughout the city for six years before they could be restored. 

The Library doesn't just tell the story of the fire, but also traces the history of the LA library and the many colorful librarians who worked to increase readership, and make the library the hub of the city. This is an interesting read if you are a book lover like myself.