Happy Monday! We hope your weekend was filled with great reads. Today's guest post comes from Stephanie Agresti, one of of the three interns working on the Corporate Communications team this summer. Read on as Stephanie reflects on her hometown library experience, and tell us in the comments what your hometown library or bookstore is like!
Summers are filled with bright sun and days outdoors, but for me, no summer is complete until I’ve made a trip home. No matter where we’ve ended up, many of us journey home during the summer months for weddings, birthdays or weekends with the family. When we're not grilling burgers or lounging poolside, we may spend our downtime visiting our favorite local spots.
One of my favorite places to visit when I’m home is my local library. I grew up in a very small, historic town in western New Jersey (established circa 1740!). Our town library, built in 1807, was originally a school house and later a community center. Now, it’s a place I adore.
Every trip there is an experience. I park along the gravel sidewalk and walk up the old wooden steps that have been traversed hundreds of years before me. I reach for the old-fashion door knob and open the weathered barn-red door. Stepping carefully on the creaky wooden floor, I walk slowly, trying not to make too much noise. Wandering through the rows of bookshelves, I remember every time I visited growing up. I think about all of the books I’ve ever borrowed and reflect on the points in my life during which I read them. For me, books mean so much more when I think about who may have read them before me, and what that person was experiencing while reading. Hometown libraries and bookstores are powerful in that way: they connect books to memories.
Every book-lover has a favorite place to get their books when they’re home. Mine happens to be my local library. Where is your favorite place to get your books when you’re home? I'd love to hear your thoughts!
Image via http://tewksburylibraryfriends.org
