This morning, I decided to write a letter to my local library service to thank them for all that they do. Here it is:

To: (Redacted)

Dear Library Staff,

I am writing to you all to thank you for your service to me and the whole community. We have all suffered hard times this year and I want to show you the impact you have on one person who uses your services.

The Beaney Institute in Canterbury – my childhood public library!

When I was a child, my Mum took us to the library weekly. I loved the lady who worked in the Children’s Library and wanted to be just like her when I grew up! Each week, I would read all of my books as well as all of my sister’s and my Mum’s too. I went on to use public and school libraries throughout my childhood and when I went to University, I was in awe of the fantastic libraries there. So, it was no surprise that I decided to become a Librarian myself and had a career working in six school libraries overall, finishing at (redacted). I was also the School Library Association’s inaugural School Librarian of the Year in 2005.

That paragraph was written to show my background. I eventually took early retirement as my health had collapsed and I became almost totally bedridden. My local library, in (redacted), became my lifeline and I read hundreds of books over the next few years. I list them all on Goodreads with a short review, so I know how many I have read! I simply could not afford to buy all of these books. It is no exaggeration to say that reading has saved my life. If I couldn’t read, I think that my multiple conditions and depression would have overwhelmed me.

My life became even more difficult in September 2019 when I had a stroke which badly affected my eyesight. I couldn’t read at all! Thanks to your audiobook service, I was able to distract myself from the worry and stress and keep myself on an even keel. Thankfully since then my eyesight has improved. Although print books are still too much for me, ebooks are now accessible.

I am so grateful for your fantastic ebook service! It gives me the ability to read the kind of fiction that I love (thrillers, science fiction, fantasy, crime), fiction that transports me away from my condition and my fears and that enables me to face the world. Reading helps me to gain the strength to support my family, even from my bed!

So you can see how your wonderful Library Service helps one person to feel human in adversity!

Thank you all so much and I hope that you are all coping well during this difficult time!

Best wishes,

Anne

I just wanted to say this.

Love and best wishes,

Anne

💕💗💖💗💕

Image credits

Beaney Institute (Canterbury Library) by Lutrus on Flickr