How often did you visit the library as a child?

[elise1mds]

Poll to follow...

 

My kids and I were leaving the library today, and DD mentioned that she was surprised that she didn't run into more of her classmates at the library. I said that many of them probably visited libraries closer to where they lived but that many kids really didn't visit libraries at all. My kids were SHOCKED. The library has been a constant part of their lives since before they can remember.

 

It got me thinking, though, that my own mother was what I would call a 'seasonal' library visitor. We visited over the summer but never hit up the library during the school year until I was old enough to need the resources from the reference section (I'm showing my age a little bit here... the Internet wasn't something we had until I hit high school). I'm sure that my situation is not unique. I hope. ;)

[Denisemomof4]

I don't remember but I know I was never without a book and regularly went to the library.

 

I remember when I got older I loved to ride my bike to the big library downtown to look at the medical books and read up on the....... "parts.............":lol::lol::lol:

[Parrothead]

My parents did not take me to the library until after I was about 12. Then only periodically.

[Hunter's Moon]

I just did a library-related poll, also :001_smile:

 

I chose "other". It was different through every phase.

 

When I was young (2-6) we went about every two weeks.

 

When I was about 6-10 we went about once/month.

 

When I was 11-15, whenever the mood struck. Sometimes once/month, sometimes more than once/week.

 

Now that I can go to a library unaccompanied, I go about once/week, though I would like to go more. Maybe once school starts...

[myfunnybunch]

We lived out in the country. The bookmobile librarian knew our names and would often set aside books she thought we'd like. :)

 

Cat

[Joker]

We went very rarely but we always lived in the middle of nowhere. I remember working at our town's first library and I was 16.

[Jean in Newcastle]

If you mean the school library, then we were allowed to check out books once a week. If you mean the public library, then never because I lived overseas and there was none. We had tons of books at home that I read over and over again.

[Chris in VA]

Probably more like once a month, year 'round.

We had a beautiful, brand-new library built in our town when I was, maybe, 12 or so.

[Jeannie in NJ]

my mother would go to the hairdresser every Sat and would leave me at our HUGE city library. I would check out the max number of books each week and read them all (I think it was 7). I loved it and as a single adult whereever I lived I made sure I was close to a library. When I lived in Los Angeles, the first 2 years I did not have a car but I lived only 1 block from a library.

[itsheresomewhere]

Rarely for the public library as it was not close and not a place you want to be.

I did go to the school library but we mostly would get money for books for birthdays, etc. Also, we did a lot of garage sales for books.

[Farrar]

Depends on what stage of childhood really. Regularly when I was little. Then, once I was about 8 or so, rarely. Then, only when I had to do a school project by about middle school. Then in high school, I discovered the joy of university libraries! Ah, so much better for research.

[KAR120C]

We had a very nice old neighborhood branch library about a mile away - very bike-able... We went there probably weekly, all through childhood. Then there was the school library in all but one of the schools I attended, and then my mom was a school librarian too, and I basically spent every summer there. :) And with all of those books available, we still owned so many I think they're actually a structural feature of my parents' house now.... ;)

 

(Oh and the downtown library! I forgot about that one! It's gorgeous, and we went there pretty frequently too. Then I went to college downtown, so I hung out at the library all the time. I still remember where most of the sections were!)

[amydavis]

I haven't voted yet, because I can't honestly remember. I just know that books were an important part of our life. I do have memories of going to the library with my mom, but I seem to have more of us going to the Second-hand bookstore. It was not too far from our home, and it was in a building that used to be a house. Each room was a different genre of book...I LOVED that place. I also remember going to Walden Books, that was in our mall, a lot. My mom certainly encouraged reading. I remember being on a waiting list forever at the elementary school library. The book was Superfudge, which was a follow up to Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing, by Judy Blume (showing my age, and my childhood appreciation of twaddle, lol). Everybody wanted it, and I was so far down on the list. I mentioned it in passing to my mom (not sure why I hadn't thought of that prior), and remember leaving right away to go to Waldens...:D I guess she didn't agree with having to wait forever for a book you were that eager to read, lol.

[Daisy]

My public library was an old historical house less than a block from my house. I went every single week and sometimes more often than that.

[Mommy22alyns]

I don't think I went to the library much as a child, but there were always tons of books in the house.

 

When I was in high school, I became positively addicted to the library, taking the bus all around town and coming home with huge stacks of books!

[thescrappyhomeschooler]

My parents took us to the library most every Friday evening. We stayed for a couple of hours and each came home with a big stack of books.

 

One thing I loved in childhood- if we were sick, my mom would put sheets on the couch and we would lie there with our pillows and she'd bring a huge stack of books home from the library for us to read while we were sick.

[HRAAB]

Rarely for the public library. We did not live close to it.

 

I used the school library all the time.

 

I came from a family of readers and we had our own library at home. :001_smile:

[AndyJoy]

The public library was literally across the street from my school when I was growing up, so I went for about two hours every day after school, and even popped in on weekends when I had research to do. And in the summer, it was one of the few things to do in town.

:iagree:My school was directly across the street as well. When I was in 5th & 6th grade I spent 1-2 hours at the library practically every day after school. I read TONS of books in those 2 years. The librarians were also friendly and much more lenient about letting us use the phone than our school secretary. I remember one boy using the library phone to call his mom because he had a broken arm in a cast, no coat, and it started pouring rain. The school didn't think this was a legitimate reason to call :001_huh:.

 

Once I started jr. high I would ride my bike or drive to the library several times per week and I continued going once I was in high school and driving. In the summertime I would spend even more time there.

[Word Nerd]

We went regularly when I was a kid and I kept going on my own on into high school. We go weekly now.

[YLVD]

Usually once a week! I was a voracious reader..and a bit of a speed reader, and checked out like 8 books at a time. Loved it!

[Rosie_0801]

We only went a few times a year. Perhaps we would have gone more often if it had been closer than the next suburb, but perhaps not. In primary school, we had access to the school library every week, so that was probably sufficient. In high school, we could use the school library whenever we liked. Now I'm curious why Mum didn't take us more often. I suppose it wasn't necessary because we could access books elsewhere with regularity.

 

Rosie

[SpiritCatcher]

We went weekly, most times more than once.

 

The library that is available to us now is poor at best. I hate that my kids don't get to enjoy the library like I did as a child.

[Hwin]

Constantly. It was walking distance and I could go unsupervised, so I was always there.

 

I don't take my son nearly enough (but we do read a lot of books).

[daffodil]

I don't remember my family going to the public library, but I went occasionally with a friend's mom.

[Lisa3033]

To the public library, only once in a great while. Maybe like 3 or 4 times a year. I never did story time or anything like that. In elementary school we went regularly to the school's library with our class. In jr high, they had teen magazines in the library so friends of mine would go regularly to read magazines and chat. We also had a reading program where we had to read a certain number of points worth per month and then test on it, so I would check out books then. In high school, I went frequently, again to chat with friends and read magazines. I also was able to get aim on there and chat with my now husband, then bf, but i didn't do that often because im sure getting caught would have resulted in revoking my Internet privileges at school and who knows what else. I never once checked out a book, thanks to the forced reading in middle school.

 

I don't take my kids much. I used to but then we always racked up huge fines because I forgot to bring them back on time. So now we go to the thrift store and I buy them for around a quarter a piece. They always have a ton of children's books in good shape and its well organized for a thrift store. Not exactly library organized, but that's part of the thrill too, coming across books i wouldn't have bothered to seek out intentionally before. I am spending less and the kids are thrilled they get to keep the books. When our collection gets out of hand, we bring a stack back.

 

Personally, I rarely go. I don't enjoy reading as a leisurely activity, I do it pretty much solely as a means to gain knowledge about a particular topic, and even then I almost always use the Internet.

Edited August 11, 2011 by Lisa3033

[Margo out of lurking]

..

[justamouse]

Never. Which is just crazy because I always read. Nan just bought the books for me.

[Coffeemama]

Growing up, I always had a library close by and visited regularly. As a young child my mother would bring us every week or so, more in the nicer weather since we walked. From 4th grade on, I walked myself or with friends. We lived two streets out from the center of town and things seemed safer then. If I lived on that same street now (in what has since become a city) my very responsible DD would be waiting until 6th grade to walk there alone.

Edited August 11, 2011 by Coffeemama

[Runningmom80]

I answered seasonally, I went a lot in the summer, not so much during the school year. Darn homework got in the way of my recreational reading. ;)

[Lara in Colo]

I cannot rememeber going to the public library with my mother----ever.

 

I went to the school library ...well... at school.

 

I remember having books at home and I remember buying books at around 10 or so.

[joannqn]

Ok, this is going to be weird but I don't remember my mom taking me to the library, but the guy that babysat my brother and I (aka my sexual abuser) took me there fairly regularly. I spent my entire grade school years hanging out with him...at the library, the park, the mall, the arcade, going to the store (and shoplifting for him), etc.

 

I also rode my bike there on my own. I taught myself to draw by checking out Ed Emberley books. I read a lot too.

 

When we moved, I used the library a lot for high school writing assignments, research papers, and term papers, but the library was further away so usually my mom dropped me off, or after I could drive, I borrowed the car.

[Crafty Mathy Mom]

We didn't have a library in our town. They library in the next town was OK. My mother would take us in the summer. I got most of my reading material from the school library.

[2_girls_mommy]

OP, showing your age?? You had internet in high school?? You have no reason to hide your age:)

 

We didn't go often. I only have one memory of going to a library outside of our school library with my teachers and classmates. We were all big readers, including my mom. I guess we got our books other places! We did not live anywhere remotely near a library most of my life.

[Kathleen in VA]

I remember going to the school library for read-aloud time - great memories (Charlotte's Web, The Hundred Dresses, Many Moons).

 

My parents only took me to the library once though. My 4th grade teacher had read The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe to us and when we moved to another duty station I wanted to read it again (7th grade). I couldn't remember the title so my mother took me to the library and had me speak to the librarian. I described the wardrobe, the snow, the lamp post, the lion (couldn't remember his name) and Mr. Tumnus - I went into a great deal of detail. The librarian had no idea what I was talking about and we left empty handed. I was extremely disappointed to say the least.

[lisamarie]

I grew up across the street from the library. It was my second home and I probably read over half the books in that building. I have always been a voracious reader--as are my sister and brother.

 

Now I take my kids weekly to the big library that's 15 mins away and twice a month to the tiny local library. I figure the more time they spend in the library picking out new books the more likely they will fall in love with reading and become readers. So far my plan is working.

[TravelingChris]

My family was big library goers. Some of my favorite memories from early childhood are going to the library. I was so happy when I got my library card (probably was 5). I even remember going to a library before I was 2.

[kitten18]

I voted, Seasonally, but I really don't remember.

 

I don't remember my Mom taking me to the library much when I was really young. Now that I think about it, my sisters probably took me, they were 12 and 16 when I was born and they loved to take me places.

I got lots of books from the school library when I was in elementary school. My Mom read to me every night. I don't know where all those books came from, I think I must have brought them home from the school library.

[Just Robyn]

Rarely. I was not encouraged to read much. (I wasn't discouraged from it either; it wasn't like Matilda.) Truly good books were never any kind of priority either. So, if I was reading, it was probably mediocre literature. I did get lucky and read a few really good books, but most of what I can remember reading was just okay.

[Lacie]

I visited the school library. I didn't go to the public library until I was in high school, my friends drove me or I drove after I got my license.

[angela in ohio]

My parents took me weekly at the least, and much more in the summer, when I didn't have the weekly visit to the school library. As I got older, I rode my bike across town to the library in the summer and practically lived there (when I wasn't at the town swimming pool.) :001_smile:

[dangermom]

My mom is a librarian, so...a lot. I used to stamp due-date cards for the clerks. In summer we went almost daily--we lived in Bakersfield and had a swamp cooler, so every morning we would have swimming lessons and then walk across an empty field to the brand-new library on China Grade Loop to spend half the day.

[Desert Rat]

In addition to the brick and mortar library, I was lucky to have a bookmobile come to my little private school every 2 weeks. I loved that little bus!

[Ellie]

I only used the school library, although one year I did go to the bookmobile because it stopped near my house.

[JennyD]

My mother took us at least weekly when I was little, and once I was old enough to walk there on my own I went constantly. I take my kids at least once a week now.

 

My mother remembers going to the library weekly as a child, too. I should ask her how she got there . I can't possibly imagine my grandmother took her -- she must have gone alone or with an older sibling.

[Hannah C.]

We went to the public library every week or two weeks or three weeks, depending. I grew up in the library. I was their youngest volunteer ever (at the age of 12).

 

When I got older I didn't go as often, but I would go to the school's library. In college, I worked at the library. :D

 

I love libraries!

[Hillary in KS]

When I was a child, our library was downtown. (Yes. One branch. Downtown. In a capitol city. That was it.) We lived on the edge of town, perhaps 20 minutes away by car. So we only went once every couple of months during the school year, but more often in the summer.

 

 

Nowadays, there are tiny local branches all over the place, and it's much more convenient to go.

 

However, I was at my *school* library 2-3 times per week during the school year.

[Onceuponatime]

It's funny, but I don't remember going to a library that wasn't a school library as a child. However, my mother had us in the weekly reader program and we got new books regularly. I got Scholastic books from school book sales, and used books from yard sales. I read all my books over and over. I even read my school books from cover to cover. :-)

 

I'm sure we must have gone to the public library, I just don't remember.

[didadeewiththree]

I selected other because we made a weekly trip with the whole family to the bookstore in the mall. I would spend a few hours there scouring through books and try to talk dad into buying another book for my collection...So, I guess a bookstore is kinda like the library, but not quite.

[Audrey]

My mom was a big reader. We went regularly for as long as I can remember. Usually, it would be every other Saturday, but sometimes we'd go on a non-library Saturday just because it was a fun thing to do.

 

Ah... fond memories. I miss my mommy.

[Night Elf]

When I was a kid, my family went every week, sometimes twice. We LOVED the library. But that library is very different from the libraries I've visited as an adult with my own children. Frankly, the library just isn't a cozy inviting place anymore. I don't even take the time to browse. It's strictly a *get in and get out* errand. I use the website to find books I want and make sure they are available so I don't have to spend anymore time in there than I need to.

 

I don't even think of libraries as being the same kind I had when I was a kid. I see them as media centers. When I'm in my library, the majority of comfy chairs and chairs/tables are empty. I never see more than a couple of people in the aisles where the books are. But I have never seen an unoccupied computer. Honestly. And usually, all the cubbies where people can sit with their own laptops and use the free wi-fi are generally filled too.