Does walking into a library slow your pulse rate and lower your blood pressure? When you inhale the scent of books do you feel right at home? Can you spend hours in a library and feel like it's only been minutes? If so, you're a true book lover.
April 12-18 is National Library Week. If you haven't noticed it before, libraries have come a long way from the image of prune-faced bespectacled librarians shushing all the patrons. These days libraries sponsor so much activity, it might be more accurate to describe them as a community center. From arts and crafts workshops to book discussion groups to exercise classes, the library does it all.
St. Charles County's library system is truly a jewel. Each branch has a virtual plethora of things to do and learn.
Of particular interest to me are the author/book events. The library showcases both local authors and national best selling ones. Take a listen to a few of the recent big names to visit the library: Sara Gruen, Jennifer Nielsen, Sarah Dessen, Sharon Draper, John Stephens, and Lisa Scottoline. Every one is a New York Times bestselling author. Tomorrow night I plan to attend the Susanna Kearsley event (another NY Times bestselling author). I recently read her book, The Winter Sea, and absolutely loved it. In high school I adored reading Mary Stewart's books and Ms. Kearsley has a writing style very similar. She meticulously researches her historical romance novels and recently did an event with an author you may have heard of...Diana Gabaldon (Outlander). I can't wait!
If you want to "check out" what's going on at the St. Charles City-County library branches, click here.
If you live farther away, I hope you take the time to visit and support your own library. You just have to love them, don't you?
