Library Memories

by Chelsea Childers Rowan Public Library

What is your first memory of a library? Do you remember? Picture it. Remember how it smelled. Embrace that memory of the first excitement and wonder that the library held when we were little. It’s funny what an impact my childhood library had on me. Some part of that fresh enthusiasm has stuck with me over the years. In some aspects, I feel like that is still what drives my eagerness to learn.

Who remembers the red train car in the children’s room at the old location of the library in Landis? This was my favorite place as a child. I used to love it when my mother read to me there. I would climb into the car and cuddle with the “Where the Wild Things Are” stuffed toys. Mom read “Frog and Toad” to me. She did all the voices! Thanks, Mom.

I am a new employee at the Rowan Public Library. I was encouraged to apply to the library by a friend, her name was Maria Hall. She used to work at my childhood library, before it became something else. Maria loved “The Little Prince” and considered one of the basic themes in the story to be truly profound. The idea was that grown ups are too serious and should remember to appreciate the simple things. She would say to me, “Growing up is not the problem, forgetting is.”
Just before coming onboard as the Children’s Outreach Program Supervisor, I was the music teacher at Partners in Learning, a local preschool. I love singing and playing my guitar with the children in my classes. It makes my heart soar to see their little faces light up when I walk into the room and hear them scream, “Miss Chelsea!” The children know it is music time. When I transitioned into my current position, I knew I wanted to carry my music time over to the Books To Grow program for the public school NC Pre-K classes I now serve. Incorporating early literacy skills into my music is something I have been doing for half of a decade now, so the opportunity to do this for the public school system has been idyllic for me. I was a little nervous when I started. I am not exactly the silent type. The idea of a loud-mouthed, extroverted, kart-wheeling ME is a bit intense for working in a library. This would have been somewhat of a challenge if I weren’t in the children’s department. I enjoy the silly and whimsical energy of my patrons!

We have to realize how impressionable these children are by remembering what it was like to discover things when we were small. The memory alone of my first library experience is enough to bring a smile to my face, filling my heart with joy. Promoting early literacy is like giving our children’s future a warm embrace. It is so important to read to, verbally interact, and mentally challenge kids. Don’t rely on technology and iPads to do it. The Rowan Public Library is such an amazing place for our youth to experience community involvement and be inspired to always thirst for knowledge. Parents, take your children to the library. They’ll thank you!