Shelves of dreams

No we've not flashed back to Read Across America day, although that is when this picture was taken. Rather, this is to honor Mr. Michael Apodaca, the librarian at Madison Elementary School. He, like so many other dedicated librarians, have been given their pink slip and will not be returning to our school libraries this coming fall. He has done a great job at the school and we will miss his goodwill and knowledge.

I don't know about you, but for me, libraries were not only the sweet repositories of stories, but they were one of the places where adults encouraged me to read, to think and to share my ideas. I could explore anything I could read. Books about astronomy, operas, geology, and aisles and aisles of fiction of every sort.

I could imagine myself a part of any and all topics. The possibilities were endless. My sense of what I could explore or who I could become was endless. I could be like Caddie Woodlawn, Emily Dickinson, Marie Curie, Marian Anderson, Betsy Ross, Louisa May Alcott, Amelia Erhart, Shirley Temple, Juliet Gordon Low...and on, and on.

Libraries were also a place where I met kindred bibliophiles, who were creative, a bit dorky like me, and with whom I could share deep ideas.

There is an effort afoot to raise funds to keep our school libraries open. Follow the link below to learn more about this effort.

I don't know how much I'll be able to give, but I do know that I will give something. Libraries can be important places in so many ways. They can be the repository of books, ideas, and dreams for the future.

http://www.pasedfoundation.org/libraries.php