My lending library is located in an apartment in my basement, just downstairs from my living room. It has its own entrance and bathroom but easily accessible to us. My boys browse the shelves or ask if we have a book on a particular topic. And as Christie said, the books on my shelves are very rarely found in public libraries anymore. Most of my treasures are from before 1970, written during a time Michelle Miller, author of Truthquest History, calls the golden age of children’s literature when authors sought to edify children through their writing.
An interesting thing about my extensive science section filled with older books…it is the most used section of my library among my patrons. Am I saying nothing valuable can be learned from the newest, shiniest books being published today. No, of course not. But have we really learned that much more about the butterfly in the last 50 years? And the children who immerse themselves in a McClung will build a relationship with butterflies they will never forget, much more so than with a dull, dry factoid-laden book.
I know not everyone can or wants to do what I do. I never borrow a book of any kind. Ever. But I love loaning my collection to children who are eager to have their minds fed with these gems.
