Wednesday, September 2, 2009

The Library - Concordia University

Saturday I traveled to the library. It wasn't a very long journey,
as I only had to walk two city blocks to arrive there.
It is a new library, just built this summer on the campus
of Concordia University. You can see the new grassy amphitheater
from inside the library. They were playing Shakespeare out
on the lawn.
Isn't it beautiful? I am so excited, as the library will be open to
the neighborhood too. There is a coffee shop at the far end.

The new bell tower on the other side of the lawn.
What a wonderful addition to our neighborhood.
****
I wonder if you love libraries?
What are your memories of your first visit to a library?
Can you still imagine the smell of all those books?
Did you ever go there for story hour?
***
I love libraries.
It is so exciting to wander through the aisles and see all
the words that are available at no cost to me, but time well spent.
As a young girl, when I learned to ride my bike further than just on
my street, my mom would let me ride to the library.
I would explore for hours and come home with
books of adventures of all kinds, but mostly about
women in history. They were my favorites.
If you can't find me sometime and you wonder where I am,
I will be off to the library.

15 comments:

Teresa's New Life said...

Wow! That is some nice library. I LOVE to visit the library too. I don't get by often though with my hectic schedule. Enjoy! I know I would.

Jeanne said...

I love libraries
thanks for sharing......
Love Jeanne

Caroline said...

I love the library! And the smell. My favorite library was at the University of Illinois. I loved going into the "stacks" where they kept the old books. It was dark and quite there. I loved to study there...

Anonymous said...

This is lovely and so nice for you that it is open to the general public.

SE'LAH... said...

I love libraries.
So filled with knowledge.

one love.

Annie Jeffries said...

. . . .and opened to the public??? How fabulous. And a coffee shop too. Hmmmmm, I see opportunities galore for meeting new people.

parTea lady said...

That is a great looking library. It is wonderful to scout out all my favorite sections at the library and especially the new books area. They are building a new library just down the road from my subdivision. It will be on a much smaller scale than yours, but I can hardly wait.

Mary said...

Hi Marilyn...yes, I love libraries, I always have. I could spend hours in them. I love to read, but it's more than that...I can't really explain it. I loved learning about the Dewey Decimal System, and I loved pulling my library card out of my little purse when I was in grade school...wonderful memories of libraries. Sad to say that here in my area, they are closed most of the time, and some have closed completely...no funding. It is so sad. But glad to see that there are still places that believe that our libraries are necessary. Thanks for sharing! Mary

Celeste Maia said...

How wonderful to have a new library open to the public and a coffee house too. Lovely photographs of the library!
I just arrived in Madrid after 2 months of being gone, so I have a lot of organizing to do before work starts.

Adrienne said...

Good morning, Marilyn -
Ah, I know your neighborhood and I heard about the wonderful new library at Concordia. Friends attended the dedication. They have kids who attend there. Thanks for sharing the pictures and the information. Perhaps when I'm near your neighborhood I will stop by the library for some quiet reflection on the wonders of words - and books. Maybe I will see you there! ~Adrienne~

Mary Jane said...

Hello Marilyn,

How wonderful that you have this lovely new library!
I am also a big library fan and spent countless hours as a child at my libray reading magazines and choosing books to take home.

I am thrilled to have in the Amherst Rose Gift Shoppe the very magazine rack which held the Highlights Magazine and others that I so enjoyed as a child. I bought it at an auction along whith the 20 drawer map chest which I use to store computer paper and my stationery.

I always try to visit the local libraries whenever I travel and my favorite is the little library near Portobelo Market in London which so reminded me of my own childhood library.

Thanks for showing us your new Library.

Mary Jane

Mary said...

I had to ride the bus to the library as we lived in the country, several miles from town. The building was old - an original Carnegie library - with elderly, stuffy, blue stocking type librarians who gave children dirty looks even though we whispered - children behaved and followed the rules in those days!!! Once there it was hard to leave though - I loved books, still do. It's still there but come to think of it I've never ventured inside on my trips home.................next time perhaps just to see if it's changed.

Have fun in your new library - hope you unearth some great stories.

La Tea Dah said...

I have fond memories of a very old university library. My dad taught there, so I was able to get a library card at a tender age. I especially enjoyed summer, when students were mostly gone --- and I could explore books in that large, quiet library. Many happy hours of reading took place there! In those days, it was safe to be a child and walk alone to campus and spend an afternoon doing such things.

LaTeaDah

Anonymous said...

I have such powerful and happy memories of visiting the library when I was a young teenager. Our town library was fantastic. The small Southern town where I now live has a library also but unfortunately it is rather - hmmm -"unstimulating". This is a part of the South that "bans" books, so our library is not a place of discovery and growth as it should be. But Marilyn, how lucky you are to be so close to such a beautiful new library! I love it and hope you will enjoy many fulfilling hours there!

beth said...

i used to love libraries....but now I love barnes and noble :)

but this one is just beautiful....