Librarians hold a special place in my heart. They’ve saved me from disaster too many times to count, and surprisingly, to this day, they don’t hide when they see me coming. One of the very first things I sold as a writer was a short story. Hallmark, who purchased it, asked me to put it in screenplay format. I assured them I could do it, and then I went running to the nearest library where I grabbed the first librarian I spotted and begged her to help me find out how to write a screenplay. She saved the day, of course, and step-by-step guided me to what I needed. I left the library with three books on how to write a screenplay and an enduring sense of gratitude for the kindness, patience, and expertise of that librarian. As the years passed and I began to write novels, I came to rely more and more on these angels of information. No matter which library I went to or which librarian happened to be on duty, I was always met by a knowledgeable professional who was willing to help. I’m happy to report I no longer race into a library in a panic. Now it’s the digital age, and so much of my research can be done on a computer. The world has changed, and so have the libraries. One would think the role of the librarian has diminished, but I’ve found it to be just the opposite. It seems their responsibilities have actually grown. Not only are they checking out books and offering advice on research materials, but I see them helping people on the computers, managing e-books and audiobooks, and keeping their patrons up to speed on new technologies and resources. I really think librarians have become masters at many skills. The one I value most these days is their knack for recommending just the right book. When my children were young, I would take them to the library to pick out the books they wanted to read, and the librarians always made the search such a fun adventure. They treated it like a treasure hunt, and by the time we got home, the kids were so excited they couldn’t wait to start reading. Today, it’s my grandchildren who are learning what a magical place a library is, and though they are still young, I can see that books are opening up the world to them, just like they did to their parents.
So, to all librarians everywhere, I say thank you. Thank you for saving me from my ignorance when I started out and for making me believe I could actually be a writer. Thank you for being so supportive of me and my books. I’ve loved visiting with many of you over the years. Thank you for your commitment to learning. And especially, thank you for making reading exciting and fun.