We don’t live far from the library I went to when I was a little kid. I remember the day my grandma took my brother and me there to get our library cards. I was so excited and proud to have that little piece of plastic with my name on it. I hoped Annabel would feel the same way, and I’ve long been looking forward to the day I took her to get one. Annie has gone to a few libraries, but I decided that yesterday was finally the day to get her a card of her own.
When we got to the library, I told her we were getting her a card. She wanted to help me fill out the application.
She didn’t have the outwardly excited reaction to getting a card that I was expecting.
I decided to blame that squarely on the other activities at the library. Who wants to get excited over a card when there are so many other things to do?
I let Annie pick out five books, then we went over to our favorite part of the library. I call it the “bear room” but Annie calls it the “stage room.”
Annie can’t resist a stage:
I have no idea where she gets it.
We did eventually check out some books, and when Mike got home later in the evening Annie was so excited to tell him about the library that she practically threw her books at him. But when she proudly showed him her library card and said, “This is my library card, Daddy! It has my name on it.” I got a little teary (hormones, man). I wonder if, thirty-one years from now, she’ll remember the day she got her own library card.
Meg says:
I distinctly recall getting my library card, because it happened twice : at five, the librarians signed me up for the children’s section card, which limited me to four books out at a time. The next week, my mother demanded that they convert it to the adult’s card (for ages ten and up), with a limit of seven books at a time, because she was not going to return to the library every single day to return and check out four books for me. Also, I had already read most of the books in the children’s section. (Now, most libraries have limits of twenty or thirty books at a time, much more my speed!)
I LOVE that last picture. Love.
Jaclyn says:
our Library has a limit of 50 items….when my toddler first started checking out books I limited her to 10, when we were checking out one day my daughter announced “I wish we were allowed to check out more than *just* ten books, Momma” to which the librarian so helpfully replied “oh, you are allowed 50 items at a time dear!” gee THANKS helpful Librarian…my daughter promptly demanded we go get more books and threw a tantrum when I explained why ten was sufficient for our household since we could come back to the library at any time we wanted and ten was a good number to carry (I was also carrying a 3 month old so yeah, 10 was good.) We now have a relatively large library bag and the limit is what will fit in the bag which is often close to 30 books…she’s an avid reader going into 3rd grade now and 30 books holds her for about 2 weeks if we are lucky! And my son gets his own bag now too…so we have LOADS of library books all the time!
Becca Masters says:
Aw! Bless her!
I remember my mom dropping me off at the library in the summer holidays. She’d drop me off, go do her errands and what not and come back for me a few hours later. I LOVED the library! I’d read anything I could get my hands on.
To this day I still love books. Now Amazon in my library and I have to pay for my books.
Funnily enough I am a member of about 3 different libraries across London!
Amanda says:
I hope we never lose libraries, such magic places.
I bet getting the card will be a keeper memory!
Kelly says:
I remember getting both of my library cards (we moved when I was 5 to a new town) and going every weekend to check out as many books as I possibly could… and sometimes having to go back mid-week to return them and get more.
Real question: Where did you get your dress? I want it.
Heather says:
Anthropologie! It’s on sale!
Nellie says:
I love libraries but yours is truly AMAZING!
Your daughter will definitely remember the day she got her library card – I still remember the day I got mine.
You two are too darn funny on that “stage” – I’d be egging you on to keep going and my daughter would want to join in on the fun.
Rebecca says:
I was 7 when I got my first card. The library was only 500 feet from my house and I walked there alone all the time and couldn’t wait to get my own card (as opposed to using my mom’s card). My mom let me get it when I was a lot younger than my siblings had been. I think she was sick of me begging for it!
JennS says:
I got my first library card on the Book Mobile when I was 4 or 5. It stopped outside my friend’s house two blocks away from my house and his mom would always take us to it when it was there. I remember getting my library card and being so excited. It wasn’t until I was much older that I realized I wrote most of the letters backwards on the card. I’m pretty sure my mom still has it somewhere!
Debbie A-H says:
Love this post with all my book-loving heart.
Trisha says:
I remember when I got mine for the first time. We lived in Kansas at the time and I was 6. We entered a drawing while I was there for a new Teddy Ruxpin bear and I won it several weeks later.
I remember getting my card and carefully choosing my books. It was a magical day that I will never forget. I’m sure Annie will treasure it too!
Anna says:
Love the pics of the two of you with the puppets and on the stage! Your faces are the best!
Sandy says:
I loved going to the library when I was a child. My mom took all 5 of us every Saturday morning and it was such a big treat. Our library had a good childrens section and had all kinds of exhibits and things for us to do. It really encouraged a love of reading which continues to this day. I think it is great she has her own library card! I am sure she will treasure it. Books take you all sorts of places you might never go to in real life and helps stir the imagination.
Kyla says:
As a librarian, I approve – no, LOVE – this message! Good job, Mom.
Paula says:
I loved taking my boys to the library when they were little. We picked out movies (VHS when we first started) and books. We would lay down on pillows (I had BIG concerns about lice but took the chance! LOL!) and read the books. Then sometimes we would just lay there with their books and imagine what was going to happen behind the cover. I miss those days.
And she will remember. I promise.