Excess

Just a sampling

Our family gets a little excessive when it comes to the library. Librarians tend to know us by name. I’m terrible at keeping track of when things are due, but I’ve learned to think of my constant fines for overdue books as charitable giving—it helps with the guilt. And as much as I try to keep things under control when we walk into a library, we always check out more books than we can comfortably carry, and overestimate what we can read in a week. I admit it, I indulge my children at the library.

I do have a few guidelines:

1. We are not buying these books. Middle, when she was two, used to follow me through the children’s section, grabbing books and saying, “Can we buy this one? Can we buy this one? Mommy, let’s buy this one!” I really felt that for the sake of her future financial security she would need to learn early that we do not spend money in the same irresponsible, decadent manner that we use a library card.

2. A library card is not a credit card. See above. Youngest is under the impression right now that her brand new library card is a credit card, and while this is an understandable mistake, I’m afraid it’s one that needs to be cleared up quickly.

3. If we are at the library for the second time in one week and there are already 40 or 50 books at home waiting to be read, we’re not bringing home another 40 or 50. Period.

4. Just like I limit how much junk food my kids eat, I limit junk books, too. Movie and television series merchandise masquerading as picture books make me nuts. Considering how much amazing stuff is out there, I’m afraid I’m pretty intolerant of books that don’t even bother to list the author and/or illustrator on the front cover.

This book excess is important. It is vital. It is an enormous factor in my kids’ education, not to mention my own. It’s hard to even quantify the things my kids pick up, just because of our frequent library visits. Our local library’s summer reading program started up this week, and the first big event was a visit from storyteller Bobby Norfolk. He had a whole roomful of kids and adults completely captivated, and besides doing some awesome storytelling, he put in a plug for his favorite section of the library: Call No. 398.2 (fairy tales and folklore). Later that evening, as I was starting in on a new story from our current read-aloud, Youngest just about flew out of bed. “Wait! Wait! IS THAT A FAIRY TALE?” When I told her it was, she laid back in bed happily. “Oh, good! Because Bobby Norfolk says they’re THE BEST!!” I couldn’t have asked for better support.