Discovering your passion
September 19, 2008 at 5:50 am Teresa Bodwell 8 comments
Welcome guest blogger Wendy Crutcher. The fiction buyer for a large southern California library system, Wendy has been blogging for the past five years at The Misadventures of Super Librarian.
When you’re a librarian, people assume that you love to read. This is an easy and safe assumption to make, because frankly, who has ever met a librarian who doesn’t like to read?Librarians come to the profession from a variety of different paths. Some of those reasons might be the desire for a change in career, to work with children, or because they’ve been bitten by the research bug. Me? I chose librarianship because I knew I wouldn’t be good at anything else. Because for me, walking into a library, being surrounded by books, is like coming home.
The act of reading means different things to different people, but for me, it’s always been a comfort. When I walk into a library, looking at those rows upon rows of books, I see nothing but possibilities. There in front of me lies the whole world, and it is right at my fingertips. I can go wherever I want to go, do whatever I want to do, and be whoever I want to be. I am no longer tied down to my reality. Books, all those endless possibilities, give me the freedom to explore a reality outside of my own.
When I’m having a bad day, or need to get away from it all, I head for books. I find the nearest bookstore or library, wander about aimlessly, and browse to my heart’s content. And if getting away from it all isn’t a possibility? I wander back to my own book shelves, and “play.” I read back covers, reorganize my shelves, and once again fall in love with all of the options that books have to offer.
I love books and reading, and by conjunction, I love authors. They give me a world outside of my own. They take me to a place that is better, truer, and stronger. If I listen real closely, I can hear that book whispering to me that everything will be alright. Life is tough. Life is hard. But there’s a silver lining waiting for you. You just have to work hard and be patient.
I want to share that feeling, that passion, with other people who so desperately need to hear that whisper. Books and reading are my passion. I can’t imagine my life without either.
Entry filed under: reading. Tags: librarian, reading, wendy crutcher.
1.
Nettisue | September 19, 2008 at 12:41 pm
Well said and a very hearty AMEN!
2.
Lori Devoti | September 19, 2008 at 1:44 pm
I read somewhere recently where they quoted a number of what they termed something like hard-core readers–people who read every day, and it was IMO shockingly low. I don’t consider myself hard core at all–but I read every day. I just can’t imagine life without it.
And I totally get what you are saying about the feeling. When I was young I can remember walking into our small town library and feeling exactly that way. I remember the feel of the air conditioning and the smell of the books. I remember everything, because it was just so special.
3.
Dev | September 19, 2008 at 2:32 pm
Excellent post, Wendy! I completely understand your passion for books and reading ~ I feel the same way.
4.
katiebabs | September 19, 2008 at 3:39 pm
Wendy, everything you said I exactly what I think. Thank you for libraries and the librarians.
5.
Jennifer Y | September 19, 2008 at 7:14 pm
Well said! Books and reading are also my passion…don’t know what I’d do without them.
6.
Alice | September 19, 2008 at 8:18 pm
I want to be a Librarian!
No, really. I do.
7.
Rosie | September 20, 2008 at 2:55 pm
Bliss. Sublime. You said it all.
8.
Wendy | September 20, 2008 at 8:25 pm
Thank you everyone for the nice comments. And thanks for Teresa Bodwell for inviting me to post!