The World of Libraries!

One of the first things that connected me to USA just after I had moved, was the library. When I was little, my parents would read to me every night, and so, I always had a love for stories. Ever since 1st grade, I would never leave the house without a book and was always in the middle of some drama or mystery. I would usually associate what I read to real life, and even implement some of the things I learned. For example, after I read a spy novel, I would carry a flashlight and a rope everywhere with me. Books were always a huge part of me growing up, and I think some of them definitely contributed to my personality. I started using words that my favorite characters used and got to know more about different cultures and lifestyles. Which later made it easier for me to adapt here, in the USA. Books life Spy School (Stuart Gibbs), Judy Moody (Megan McDonald) and A to Z Mysteries (Ron Roy) were a pathway for me to know more about life and trends in USA, and Disney series helped too.

One specific series I often spoke about was Harry Potter. I read and re-read the books at least 4 times. I remember we had taken a road trip from Phoenix to Las Vegas, and I would spend our entire car rides pouring over the magical world I was simply holding in my hands. There was another life, another feeling entirely in that tiny print on the paper in my hands. I had always loved and respected books, but I believe this series gave me a perspective to the power an author had to be able to put pen on paper and flow words that will mesmerize and inspire more than 500 million people in the world. That was when it dawned upon me that life was big, and a few people had the power to be able to reach hearts of millions of people. The world was so much bigger than I had anticipated and that right there, was my first step to growing up and out of childhood.

            After those books, I just couldn’t stop reading. I always wanted to learn new things, explore things to read, and just always have a book resting in my hands. The library made this all possible. The first apartment we lived in right after we moved to the USA was located just beside the Redmond Library, so it was easy for me to just walk in and search for books. They have a huge kids section, and since I had just turned 11 at the time, it was mind blowing. To me, the concept of public libraries wasn’t unheard of, but still, I had never been to one. In India, there isn’t a huge concept of libraries, besides the one in school. I usually just bought books, which really taught me to take care of them, and spent hours arranging all of them on my bookshelf. It was quite the opposite here. I spent hours at the library, holed up in my favorite spot by the window, reading the books I spent a while to choose.  

            I love the process of libraries as much as I love reading the books. Once you register in your local library, you get your library card with a barcode and a number on it. You need it to check out any books. Once I’m done selecting the books I want to check out, I go over to the computer and run my card under the scanner. All books have barcodes on them, and once I run the barcode under the scanner, it makes a satisfying bleep sound. It’s really satisfying for me to look at the mountain of books I’ve arranged precariously on the table, eager to leaf through the pages, the sweet scent of the book wafting in the air. I even love putting books on hold on their website, waiting my turn for the book that’s trending. Going over to the holds section, trying to find my last name in the rows of arranged books and laying my hands on the smooth cover is the best part. In this library, I could check out up to a hundred books, and once I was done, I could slide the books through a machine, which would act like a conveyor belt to transport the books to the back so that they can be shelved again.

            The library really sustained me during Covid, the number of e-books I would read increasing each week. Otherwise, knowing me, I would get bored out of my mind. Sometimes, I just love to leave the reality of the world and drift to some crime or romance that seemed so real, happening on pages of paper. I really admire authors because they have the ability to take a story and breathe life to it as they print their words on paper. I look forward to living hundreds of lives of different characters during my lifetime. - Navaka

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