The stately building of the Lapeer District Library-Marguerite de Angeli Branch has always both intrigued and excited me. I received my first library card from this library when I started attending Junior High School at the building across the street. My Mother decided it was time I had a library card and understood how to use the library. The vast array of books and printed material fascinated me. There were newspapers, books, maps, and a dictionary so large it was permanently placed on a pedestal table. There were long, narrow, heavy solid tables with sturdy chairs of dark wool. The librarian whispered as she introduced me to the Dewey Decimal System and the file card cabinet. Then she gave me a tour pointing out where the numbers were located that matched those in the card file.

The large room smelled of lemon oil and books, all the sounds were hushed and the sunlight admitted through the long windows detoured around the tall shelves muting the glow. There were rows and rows of books, more books than I could even imagine inside one building. How many could I read, did anyone ever read the all? I did not want to leave, and not wanting to leave is the same emotion that always prevails when I am around shelves of books.

Every member of my family enjoyed reading and we spent our evenings reading. Holding a book in my hands had meaning and offered new places, new people and new experiences. I still feel a sense of wonder each time I enter this
building.

May your day land Jelly-side-up!
Nelle