I started going to the library sometime in the 1970s. My mom, sister & I would “go to town” with Nanny, my mom’s mother. Every summer, we visited the library each Monday.
When I went there, the library was up on the second floor of town hall. The first floor housed the town tax office, the police department, and the town auditorium. It was a large brick building in the heart of downtown. I searched high and low but couldn’t find a photo of the old library; however, if you read my last post, it was across the street from the pharmacy.
Every nook and cranny was filled with books. I never had any problems finding books to read. I would sit on the floor and browse, looking for just the right books for that week. My mom never censored what I read, and she never had to encourage reading. I was a bookworm.
Here is some history on the library in Bluefield, VA:
The Bluefield Branch had its beginnings in a program of the Bluefield Virginia Women’s Club. In 1941, the Club created a library operated by volunteers from the Club, including Cora Lee Philpott, an elementary school teacher. The library began in a building on Virginia Avenue across from the town hall. In 1950, the Town of Bluefield provided space for the library in the town hall.
https://tcplweb.org/about/bluefield-library/
I would love to hear about your first library and what you remember about it!
Camping with Christi 
Hi Christi!
I’ve loved hearing about your nanna..and the library! Reminiscing in our childhoods
somehow grounds us..gives us roots as the years go by..
The library in the little town in NYS where I grew up remains in the same location,
tho has been added on to over the decades. My mom happily worked there after we moved from the country into town. Course each book had a pocket in which the library card was put when returned to the shelf..ah, the good old days! Some of my favorite books were
about the Peppers..The 5 little Peppers and how they Grew? My memory fuzzy..
Blessings on your journeys!
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It’s fun remembering how much simpler things were when we were kids. I appreciate you sharing!
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OMG, Nancy Drew mystery series was THE BEST when I was a kid! I had every one and read them over and over. As I grew up, she (Nancy) must have been my fashion idol…..I had to have everything matching (outfit, shoes, bag, etc.) Sadly, my parents gave the whole series (I think it was 36 books at the time) to my younger cousins. I was not happy and wish to this day I could have saved them to pass down to my own daughters and granddaughter! Thank you for the memory!
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Well, my son wasn’t interested in either Nancy Drew or the Hardy Boys. One of my Storytime patrons in Gastonia, NC, adored Nancy Drew & I gifted my whole set to her, including my Namcy Drew cookbook. She and her mom baked one of the cookie recipes as a thank you. It was one of the best gifts I received at the library!
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