The Libraries That Made Us the Writers We Are
An ode to the libraries that held space for me, and the libraries where I make my own space
The following post is part of a Seed Pod collaboration about libraries. Seed Pods are a SmallStack community project designed to help smaller publications lift each other up by publishing and cross-promoting around a common theme. We’re helping each other plant the seeds for growth!
As writers, we’re often told that to write better, we have to read, read, read.
And while I could say that is true, the truth is, I do know good writers who aren’t “traditional” wide readers. My partner, who’s also a copywriter, isn’t as big a bookworm as I am. But he listens to a lot of music and has “eclectic” tastes that make for interesting insights. Oh, and he has a library of coffee beans and equipment. I think that counts!
Today, I wanted to do a bit of a thank-you, a retrospective if you will, of the libraries that made me who I am today.
Growing up bookish
I grew up in a family that put a lot of importance on education, especially through books. Some of my earliest memories include working on activity books and sounding out new words while Mommy applied her Oil of Olay and Jergens lotion.
As kids, my sister and I were just as excited to go to National Bookstore as we were to go to Toy Kingdom. On report card days, we’d wait anxiously to see if we were in the Top 10 of our class. Because that meant we’d get to pick a book or toy at the mall the following day! I can barely recall the toys I chose, so I probably almost always picked a book.
When I turned seven, I got my first chapter book: The Little Prince by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry. I remember the solemn air with which my parents handed me my gifts, especially the book: I was a ‘big kid’ now, and could handle chapter books!
Every birthday, Christmas, report card day, and saint’s feast day had a book (or two) for us. Soon, I was reading the Anne of Green Gables series, the Little House series, and The Baby-Sitters’ Club. My mom had a knack for picking out award-winning books from Booksale (a second-hand bookshop).
Yep, we had a “library” right at home.
Later on, our parents would take us to The Children’s Library at the nearby Robinson’s Mall. This was the place for me as a kid! The endless shelves of books, the books with accompanying audio cassette tapes, the bean bags, and yes, even the computers and the library of CDs with Jump Start and Barbie games! We treasured every visit to this wonderland.
When the school library was my friend
By the time I was ten, I became a little more conscious of how I wasn’t just a reader. I was an actual bookworm, which made me a little bit different from my peers.
Going through the library at my elementary school, I realized something. I was more at home with The Witch on Blackbird Pond, Sweet Valley High, Pollyanna, and the latest Harry Potter release, than I was with my classmates.
I hated going up and down flights of stairs, especially when the lunch bell was ringing for us to go back to class. But I would rather take those stairs to go to the library than be stuck eating lunch alone. I’d even be grateful for long lines at the librarian’s desk, because it meant I didn’t have to sulk in a corner waiting for the next period.
But the adventures in Hogwarts, Claudia and Stacy’s babysitting tales, and the details of Princess Diana’s life and death weren’t all that my grade school library had to offer.
Going through old books meant that I could read the library cards. And oh, the stories those could tell! I saw the names of borrowers who were older than me, had graduated long before I was born, even! And some of the books came from my mother’s alma mater - College of the Holy Spirit in Mendiola, Manila. I remember being so careful with those old books. It felt like one wrong move would turn them to dust in my hands!
Once, I was able to borrow a book that was meant for high schoolers, The True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle. I don’t know how it ended up in the grade school section, or how eleven-year-old me got away with bringing it home. But by the time I was two chapters in and had chills down my spine, I realized: this was not a book I was meant to read. At least, not yet.
I also had access to another great mini library back then: the library at our local Kumon center. I remember reading a lot of Ramona Quimby stories and Philippine folktales back then while waiting for my sister to finish her drills.
Friends who were libraries, too
In high school, I discovered that being a reader was actually a great way to make friends! We had a “Reading Nook” project every year, perhaps to make up for the outdated state of our actual school library. While I would put my “easy to find” books up for lending, it was only with my trusted friends that I swapped prized possessions. It was through those fellow bookworms that I got to read the works of Rick Riordan, Patrick Carman, Nicholas Sparks, Suzanne Collins, and Bob Ong. In turn, I shared my copies of Paulo Coelho and J.R.R. Tolkien.
High school life was a breath of fresh air since almost everyone was reading, almost everyone was in a book-based fandom, and I had a small circle of fellow writers to boot!
And it wasn’t just friends who were “libraries” for me. I once had this older school service-mate who used to tease me a lot. Once, I was having a pretty bad day. But instead of teasing me, he insisted that I borrow his brand-new copy of the latest Artemis Fowl book! At that moment, it was the kindest thing anyone could have done for me. I still treasure the memory of that older kid putting his book into my hands, telling me to take it home.
New kinds of libraries
When I went to college and started working, I started spending time in different kinds of libraries. Not just the hallowed halls of the University of the Philippines - but different kinds of media, filed neatly on a computer.
Friends and org mates introduced me to tons of series and movies. I got into Friends, Doctor Who, and Sherlock. Various films filled our external hard drives (hey, we were kids growing up in a developing country!).
Spotify happened, and it was an incredible level-up from just having 50-ish songs on my Samsung Corby. Plus, I gained a ton of podcast episodes ranging from current events to dog training
Netflix happened, and now I have a TBR (to-be-read), as well as a TBW (to-be-watched).
Nowadays, I’m not as big a reader as my ten-year-old self. But that doesn’t mean my libraries have run dry.
I’ve managed to maintain a Goodreads Challenge every year.
I still have a pretty big physical library, plus a library of e-books. My taste in books is rather finicky now - I’ve read mostly history and psychology stuff. And while I try to dip into other genres, I don’t force it if I get bored two chapters in. I try to learn new things, but I make it a point to have fun!
My Spotify library is constantly buzzing. I can spend hours curating my playlists to get just the right vibe. And these are a godsend when I need to do deep work or to find inspiration for a video script.
And my Netflix to-be-watched list? I can barely keep up with that, but that’s okay!
As a writer, I feel that the libraries that form us aren’t just those that are filled with books. They’re any space that’s filled with words, ideas, human insights, stories. Stories that are as old as time. Stories that still hold meaning today.
What are the libraries that made or make you the writer you are today? It could be your home library, a public library, or a digital collection! I’d love to hear about it in the comments below. 👇
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Want to see more posts from this Seed Pod or join in on the fun? Head over to our thread to learn more!
This was me: "Going through old books meant that I could read the library cards. And oh, the stories those could tell! I saw the names of borrowers who were older than me, had graduated long before I was born, even!" Just wow.
The Little Prince remains one of my all-time favorites!