Every Story Counts

CLOSED: More to say? Tell us about why the library matters to you. Share your library story here.

• Share My family and the library on Facebook Share My family and the library on Twitter Share My family and the library on Linkedin Email My family and the library link

  My family and the library

  by Nancee Hanson, 3 months ago
  40+ years ago we lived in Tierrasanta. It was a fairly new community and had no library. But the bookmobile would come by every week at the bottom of our street and my boys and I would go and visit and pick out books. When a library was built, and the boys were older, they would go there after school and wait for me to pick them up. My younger son now is a teacher and has a son of his own. He introduced his son to the library early on. Libraries are an important part of their lives. His... Continue reading

  40+ years ago we lived in Tierrasanta. It was a fairly new community and had no library. But the bookmobile would come by every week at the bottom of our street and my boys and I would go and visit and pick out books. When a library was built, and the boys were older, they would go there after school and wait for me to pick them up. My younger son now is a teacher and has a son of his own. He introduced his son to the library early on. Libraries are an important part of their lives. His wife is a librarian at a local middle school. Out youngest son and wife are both librarians in the county system and I bet their daughter is the youngest child in the county to visit all the libraries as a baby. My husband and I often use the Audibles when we travel and I just love our local library. It offers a lot of services, community events, programs, classes, and even concerts.

  And it all started with the Book Mobile!
• Share There’s always been a library in my life on Facebook Share There’s always been a library in my life on Twitter Share There’s always been a library in my life on Linkedin Email There’s always been a library in my life link

  There’s always been a library in my life

  by Petunia528, 3 months ago
  As a little girl I remember skipping down to the library with my Mom to get my first library card. It seemed like such a big girl thing and I treasured that card. My Mom was a great reader and worked as a librarian in the school system and one day found my name on the current card of a book I had checked out 40 years ago. Magic!

  
  

  Libraries have always been magical for me. A source of inspiration, discovery and research. We’ve moved a bit and one of the first things I do in a new town is... Continue reading

  As a little girl I remember skipping down to the library with my Mom to get my first library card. It seemed like such a big girl thing and I treasured that card. My Mom was a great reader and worked as a librarian in the school system and one day found my name on the current card of a book I had checked out 40 years ago. Magic!

  
  

  Libraries have always been magical for me. A source of inspiration, discovery and research. We’ve moved a bit and one of the first things I do in a new town is go get my library card. I’ve turned many people onto the magic of libraries with my enthusiasm. It’s amazing to me that the library offers so much access to all the great things i love to read including magazines. Now with Libby im Regularly filling my save and borrow list with recommendations from friends and things I read online
  
  there’s just not enough hours in the day to read everything I’d like to at our library, but I’m sure gonna try!

  
  

  
  

  
  

  
  
• Share The Last Bastion of Learning Without Obligation on Facebook Share The Last Bastion of Learning Without Obligation on Twitter Share The Last Bastion of Learning Without Obligation on Linkedin Email The Last Bastion of Learning Without Obligation link

  The Last Bastion of Learning Without Obligation

  by Smcdas1, 3 months ago
  I absolutely love bringing my daughter to the library and seeing the joy in her eyes at the promise of reading a new book. Because of the San Marcos Library, we're now 10 books deep into a 14 book series we use for bed time reading, and that's just the current series! More important than my personal story, the local library holds an absolutely essential place in the fabric of our communities; Libraries are one of the last places left where someone can spend time and explore ideas without being expected to spend money. If you don't quite understand what... Continue reading

  I absolutely love bringing my daughter to the library and seeing the joy in her eyes at the promise of reading a new book. Because of the San Marcos Library, we're now 10 books deep into a 14 book series we use for bed time reading, and that's just the current series! More important than my personal story, the local library holds an absolutely essential place in the fabric of our communities; Libraries are one of the last places left where someone can spend time and explore ideas without being expected to spend money. If you don't quite understand what I mean, look up what a "3rd Space" is, and how these spaces have all but disappeared as every last shred of space, attention, and time has accelerated toward some kind of monetization structure.
• Share Today was a good day at the local library on Facebook Share Today was a good day at the local library on Twitter Share Today was a good day at the local library on Linkedin Email Today was a good day at the local library link

  Today was a good day at the local library

  by Sarah McRae, 3 months ago
  I am pleased and grateful for the many blessings observed this afternoon in branch.

  I am pleased and grateful for the many blessings observed this afternoon in branch.
• Share Ease of Use on Facebook Share Ease of Use on Twitter Share Ease of Use on Linkedin Email Ease of Use link

  Ease of Use

  by Lynne Calkins, 3 months ago
  I love that I can hear of a book title from a friend or on public radio and then go straight to my computer and find and request it from my local Encinitas Library. They will even get me a book from outside the county system or San Diego. They notify me when it’s available.

  This ease of use allows me to borrow a book instead of having to buy the book. I only purchase a book if I have read it and want to share it with friends.
  Thank you SD County Library for making it so easy to... Continue reading

  I love that I can hear of a book title from a friend or on public radio and then go straight to my computer and find and request it from my local Encinitas Library. They will even get me a book from outside the county system or San Diego. They notify me when it’s available.

  This ease of use allows me to borrow a book instead of having to buy the book. I only purchase a book if I have read it and want to share it with friends.
  Thank you SD County Library for making it so easy to read books of my choosing.

  
  
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  save our library

  by T Andersen, 3 months ago

  I use the library almost every day, especially for audio books that are an important part of my routine, and it has also become a special place for my granddaughter, who is developing a love for reading. The library isn’t just a building—it’s a daily resource that supports learning, imagination, and connection across generations. Saving the library means preserving access to knowledge, stories, and opportunities that benefit our entire community, now and in the future.

  I use the library almost every day, especially for audio books that are an important part of my routine, and it has also become a special place for my granddaughter, who is developing a love for reading. The library isn’t just a building—it’s a daily resource that supports learning, imagination, and connection across generations. Saving the library means preserving access to knowledge, stories, and opportunities that benefit our entire community, now and in the future.
• Share My strees reliever after my depression on Facebook Share My strees reliever after my depression on Twitter Share My strees reliever after my depression on Linkedin Email My strees reliever after my depression link

  My strees reliever after my depression

  by Myrna , 3 months ago
  I t is a habit now looking forward to classes & events after my daughter enrolled & introduced me to this activty ! I felt new human being & happier now meeting new friends & enjoying the activty ! Thank you all for making my life more happier & valuable !

  I t is a habit now looking forward to classes & events after my daughter enrolled & introduced me to this activty ! I felt new human being & happier now meeting new friends & enjoying the activty ! Thank you all for making my life more happier & valuable !
• Share Helping the Next Generation Thrive on Facebook Share Helping the Next Generation Thrive on Twitter Share Helping the Next Generation Thrive on Linkedin Email Helping the Next Generation Thrive link

  Helping the Next Generation Thrive

  by DanaSea, 3 months ago

  The Poway Library has been such a gamechanger for our family - whenever we start to lose steam and get restless with our books, back we head to the library for another round of fun adventures. I remember the gift of loving to read my mom gave me and am so happy to give it to my own children through our regular visits. I've seen my daughter at toddler singalongs grow all the way into being an avid reader checking out the chapter books and I couldn't be happier. The ability for her to try out books (and be OK... Continue reading

  The Poway Library has been such a gamechanger for our family - whenever we start to lose steam and get restless with our books, back we head to the library for another round of fun adventures. I remember the gift of loving to read my mom gave me and am so happy to give it to my own children through our regular visits. I've seen my daughter at toddler singalongs grow all the way into being an avid reader checking out the chapter books and I couldn't be happier. The ability for her to try out books (and be OK when she doesn't love every single one) and find what she really loves has been so wonderful, and saves me so much time and money trying to guess at what she might like. I can't wait for the same transition of my son as he shares her love of books (which are already so different from my daughter's preferences) and joy of reading.
• Share Libraries will save the world.....so let them on Facebook Share Libraries will save the world.....so let them on Twitter Share Libraries will save the world.....so let them on Linkedin Email Libraries will save the world.....so let them link

  Libraries will save the world.....so let them

  by Kristy H, 3 months ago
  I grew up with little money to go around. Both my parents worked/lived paycheck to paycheck. We weren't destitute but eating out/vacations/the latest and greatest toys were not something that happened all the time. Enter the library.

  
  

  Every week like clockwork, my mom took my sister and I to the El Cajon library or on the weekends we might feed the ducks at Lindo Lake and stop at the Lakeside Library. We would spend hours there all of us in those stacks picking out as many books as we could carry. As an adult I still remember that feeling. I... Continue reading

  I grew up with little money to go around. Both my parents worked/lived paycheck to paycheck. We weren't destitute but eating out/vacations/the latest and greatest toys were not something that happened all the time. Enter the library.

  
  

  Every week like clockwork, my mom took my sister and I to the El Cajon library or on the weekends we might feed the ducks at Lindo Lake and stop at the Lakeside Library. We would spend hours there all of us in those stacks picking out as many books as we could carry. As an adult I still remember that feeling. I felt so wealthy leaving the library with my stacks of books to dive into. The library doesn't care how much money you make. There are no income requirements to use the library. The library only cares about providing a safe space to house books and people. The library cares that you have a library card and will take care of the books they loan to you. I have always loved to read so going to the library as often as we did was the best part of my childhood and instilled in me how critical, how vital, how NECESSARY libraries are to any community they serve.

  
  

  Libraries level the playing field. EVERYONE has the same access. As a child I only partially understood how important this was (I was mostly interested in how many books I could check out!). As an adult, it is crystal clear how valuable the library is. How much they do for the community. It is so much more than books.

  As an adult I am still at the library as often as I can (so is my mom). Santee Library is my home library and I can never walk in and NOT walk out with a book.

  I challenge anyone who doesn't "get it" to walk into a library, any library, to see the depth of the roots they have in their community.

  Beyond serving the community, they are the protectors of knowledge, the answerers of endless questions, the keepers of the texts, and throughout history we have seen time and time again just how crucial this role is and how greatly it needs to be protected AT ALL COSTS.
• Share A lifeline in so many ways on Facebook Share A lifeline in so many ways on Twitter Share A lifeline in so many ways on Linkedin Email A lifeline in so many ways link

  A lifeline in so many ways

  by Bella, 3 months ago
  I don’t have one great story - I can name so many big and small ways our libraries have helped me and my family. Sparking a love for books and learning for my kiddo, a soothing community space for my elderly mom, classes in art and info on voting. Kind and helpful people. All I can say is thank you.

  I don’t have one great story - I can name so many big and small ways our libraries have helped me and my family. Sparking a love for books and learning for my kiddo, a soothing community space for my elderly mom, classes in art and info on voting. Kind and helpful people. All I can say is thank you.