Libraries are magical places.

One of my favorite tropes of fiction is the old library in which one would tug at a particular volume and a door would open to a hidden passageway, with all the potential of adventures unknown. This is a perfect metaphor for a library. When one pulls a book from a shelf, one never knows the adventure that book will take you on - whether it be to a fantastical land with amazing creatures, or to a mental space where one can explore history, or science, or the farthest reaches of the universe as we understand it.

I can remember how surprised I was to learn that our library (MY library) was once a post office. I couldn’t imagine the space as anything but an impressive stone palace filled with more information than I could ever hope to devour in a lifetime. Currently, the main branch of our public library is undergoing a substantial renovation. Whenever I pass through downtown, I love to pause and remark on the newest developments. In the early days of the renovation, I oohed and ahhed at the demolition - the disappearance of the fountain in which I had thrown unknown fortune’s worth of pennies as a child. Later I was delighted to discover a crane gracefully plucking tremendous steel beams from the ground and swinging them into place as the foundation of an impressive skywalk which will link structures that just months ago lived separate in both my mind and in physical space. If I am walking around downtown, I am always sure to pause and look at the architect’s digital renderings of what our library will be someday soon. It is amazing to imagine that the heavy, solid architecture that is so deeply etched in my memories will eventually gleam with additions of metal and glass, to mark new memories for generations to come.

If you are curious about the history of the Kanawha County Public Library, the library has compiled a brief, yet thorough, history of our library on the Kanawha County Public Library’s own page. There is also a wonderful collection of photos of previous library locations here.

As much as I am delighted with the history and evolution of the physical library itself, I always have to remind myself that even though libraries are physical spaces built of stone and metal and glass, they are as much emotional spaces. Libraries might possibly be one of the most human and humanitarian spaces we as a species have created. To any other creature on earth, a library is merely shelter - a place to escape the elements of nature. Open a book for an elephant and it can inspect the cover, riffle its pages, and even breathe in the rich aroma of the ink and paper; yet the shape of the letters on the pages have no meaning to our pachyderm friend. A library is a space where humanity gathers as many ideas (good or bad) as the space can accommodate, so that anyone can access them. Not surprisingly, many people have fond memories and strong emotional ties to libraries.

I asked my friends to share their memories of the library, and was rewarded with some deeply relatable moments. With their permission, I am sharing many of them here.

I spent entire summers there while I was growing up. I would spend the long hot days exploring all the nooks and crannies, learning to use the microfilm machines and ready every single book that interested me. Taking my boys there each week when they were younger was the best fun. I answered LOVE that place. It’s the epitome of my childhood. - Jennifer P.

Discovering Science Fiction and Fantasy back in the 80s. My parents would take me to the library and I would spend so many hours at this little rotating book holder on the first floor, near the front doors. It had paperback SciFi novels and introduced me to the concepts that there could be a universe larger than myself and my family, and that the future could be limitless. It also let me be introduced to Piers Anthony and from there, the concept of puns. It was a revelation as a child, hah. - Amy M.

Being able to check out so many books at once that I could barely carry them. It was EXHILERATING. And then I could read them all and take them back for more! Also I loved the index cards. I know it's old-fashioned, but once I really learned how to do searches for things in the library index cards, it felt like magic to find articles, books, etc. - Rachel W.

Story time with my boys when they were little. Free-play time for my boys and other children on the children’s floor, which gave me a few minutes to sit nearby, oversee the playtime and read a magazine. Lego Free-play group building. Summer reading clubs/activities/street fairs. Weekly trips to the children’s floor to get lots of books to read to my children’s classes at school. Terri McDougal & her staff were always so helpful. So many wonderful memories! - Monica S.

My mom would take (my brother) and me and I used to love looking for animal books. That place always felt magical and special. I remember the huge card catalogue and the tables you could sit around and read magazines and newspapers. Then when we'd leave we'd go across the street to The Peanut Shoppe. That was a big outing for us! - Rebekah B.

Going to the 2nd floor with my dad to photocopy Chilton’s manuals when we had car trouble. - Larry W.

The reference desk on the first floor. You could ask them anything and they would know. And they had newspapers from all over down there. I loved looking at the papers from other cities on those wooden poles. The metal pay phone stall was so cool. - Jennifer K.

Taking my girls to the third floor and letting them roam. - Gwen M.

I spent a good chunk of my childhood on the third floor. Mom would take us on Saturdays and I'd get a big stack of books. They gave out bags to carry your books in and I remember that they had white rope drawstrings. That stands out to me because I would fill a bag so full that the rope would leave red marks on my wrist by the time we got to to car. And, if we'd behaved ourselves in the library, we got to go to the Peanut Shoppe afterwards. When I got to junior high and high school, I discovered KCPL's AV collection. I learned a lot about 60s and 70s protest songs by checking music out from there.

A few years ago I found myself on the third floor again. It still smells the same, by the way. I was there that day so (my nephew) could get his first library card. Courtney D.

It is such a delight and comfort to me that even though the interior will be stripped and rebuilt over the coming months, the very structure itself is permeated with such wonderful memories. I can’t wait to see our library when it opens - hopefully sometime next year.