I’ve been traveling and writing and editing …
It’s been a while since I’ve posted a message here for you.
I didn’t design it that way. I actually had a lot to say.
Then the unthinkable happened. Enroute to Christchurch, a shooting occurred. You can read about it here if you’re interested. It stopped my world for a bit.
But I’m back. And I have a story for you.
I was reading books to my daughter before she was born. She had more books than toys even at a few months old. She never went through the sounding out words phase; one day at age three she read an advanced reader to her preschool teacher. We were both shocked and worked hard to keep up with her voracious reading appetite.
To say books are important in our lives is an understatement.
That’s why when we landed in Christchurch and spent our first full day with our daughter (who was on a work visa program and was excited to show us the New Zealand she’d lived in for over six months), we headed into the city anxious to see the sites.
“The first place I want to bring you guys to is the library.”
Um, what?
My husband’s look was priceless.
We traveled 7,500 miles, and the first thing she wanted to show us was the library?
I, of course, laughed and eagerly started following. She was, after all, our daughter. We’d been the ones to teach her that the most valuable card she could ever own was her library card.
What did we expect?
We walked through the front doors … and were properly awed.
If you want to get a good feel for the culture of a community, head into their library. You’ll be amazed.
This multilevel building housed wondrous things.
Like an audiovisual department that allowed you to rent out studio space to make recordings, or video presentations, or podcasts.
Or the 3-D printing room with all the tools you need to build anything.
There was a cultural center on the top floor housing Maori artifacts. What a way to keep culture close at hand.
I loved the community puzzles that were spread out on tables, allowing anyone the chance to stop and put a piece or two together. Why not be a part of a community that works together?
I saw instantly why she’d fallen in love with the New Zealand libraries. And she said they were similar in every city she’d stayed at.
Have you ever toured a library in a new city or country?
It’s not the first time we toured a library. We’d also jumped on board of the library tour the first time we found ourselves in Vancouver, BC.
Need a little help finding a library at your final destination? You might just find it in one of the top libraries lists.
20 Beautiful Libraries Around The World
The World’s Most Beautiful Libraries
Or check out this coffee table book: The World’s Most Beautiful Libraries
For those of you ready to celebrate your love of reading, why not celebrate WorldBookDay. It’s today. I can’t think of a better reason to grab a book and start reading.
You can check out my reading list for a few ideas. Or visit my fiction and nonfiction pages. 😉
Or visit your local library.
Because reading is all that matters. It makes the world a smaller place.
Happy #WorldBookDay
