At the time, the Jackson County library had a rule that you could only check out six books at a time. Six! That was not nearly enough. And luckily for me, the children's librarian, a woman named Myra Getchell, said I could check out as many as I wanted.
When I turned 16, I got my first job at the library. [I still remember what I bought with my first paycheck: a half pound of caramels, a basket, and most importantly, red-striped Adidas so I could look like all the other kids whose parents could afford red-striped Adidas.]
I worked in the children's deparment, and I was so young, I used to hide in the stacks when I should have been shelving and read Judy Blume books. So young I once slipped and called my boss, "Mom." I can still feel the blush on my cheeks!
I was recently in my home town, kicking off Jackson County Reads, and told that story. It's not one I normally tell, but when I did there was a wave of laughter. People started pointing. And there was my old boss, Pat Blair.
This week is National Library Week.
