My Love for the Library

One of the best gifts that my late mom ever gave me was a love for reading. Before I was born — and before doing this became a "thing"— she read to me while she was pregnant.

Of course, thinking about it now, she never did tell me if she read children's books out loud to me or if she was reading whatever books she had recently checked out from the library.

If she did the latter, it could explain my love for mystery, suspense and true crime.

So it's not surprising that once I was born and began talking (I said my first word, "Da-Da," at four months of age to my dad on Father's Day. Really. It's in my Baby Book), my mom began teaching me to read.

Once I started reading, then came the next step — a trip to the library. I was probably only four years old, but I can remember it like it was yesterday.

Until our neighborhood opened its own library, we went to the one in a nearby community. It was full of beautiful, dark wooden bookcases, tons of tables and lots of large windows. The children's books were located under the windows in shorter bookcases that we little ones could reach.

When I signed up for my first library card, I was thrilled. Then I found out I could only take out three books at a time — a bummer for an only child who spent countless hours reading.

Then my mom gave me another great gift—she was allowed to take out twenty books at a time. She told me that I could get more, and she would check them out on her card!

I was so excited leaving that wonderful building, with one hand holding my mom's and the other holding a few of the books that I got to have for three whole weeks.

When I was in first grade, our Baltimore City community opened up its own library. Because my mom was the head of the local improvement association, I was asked to pin a boutonniere on Mayor William Donald Schaefer's lapel and to thank him for helping us get our own library.

In no time, I was going to this new library, with its huge children's section. I discovered authors I still love today such as Beverly Cleary, Donald J. Sobol (author of the "Encyclopedia Brown" series) and Judy Blume.

I don't remember how old I was when I joined my first Summer Reading Challenge, but I do remember that the children's librarian gave me a sheet of paper with a cartoon path drawn on it. As I read a book, I would go in and tell her what it was about, and she would put a sticker on a space. The more I read, the farther along the path I traveled. Every summer, I made it to the end of the path and finished more books than necessary for the challenge. I couldn't help it.

As I grew up, I forgot about the Summer Challenge, as other activities in high school and college captured my attention.

But a few years ago when I went to my local library, I have to admit I became a bit jealous when June rolled around, and I saw the display about the children's Summer Reading Challenge.

This year, for the fun of it, I even bought one of the T-shirts that the library sold to promote the program.

One day, my friend Cindy told me something that brought me right back to childhood.

"You know we have a program for adults that starts in September," Cindy said. Gasp…I think I may have passed out for a second from excitement. "What?!" was about all I could respond at the time.

My friend Cindy Kleback also happens to be the branch manager of my local library. And, no, I didn't become friends with her just because of her job. Really. I didn't. (But I do look upon her a little bit as the Queen of the Community — how could she not be as the head of the library and all.)

Credit: Michele Wojciechowski

The adults program at our library is in its second year. Called "Be Well-Read," it's a bingo game that you can either do online or, as I'm doing it, old school—by getting a paper bingo card full of fun reading-related activities to try.

Cindy explained to me that this works just like regular bingo — there's a free space in the center, and to get bingo, you just complete activities in the squares. If you complete enough activities to form a line vertically, horizontally, or diagonally, you get Bingo!

The activities in the squares are designed to encourage adults to read, but also to get them to think outside the box. (Pun definitely intended.) And you even get a prize: a bright red tote bag with Be Well-Read on it! Where can I sign up?

The night I went to sign up for "Be Well-Read," the librarian at the information desk told me how I could sign up online and begin. Instead, I asked for the physical Bingo card. I wanted to feel it, and the excitement, that I had as a kid.

Some of the squares suggest different kinds of books to peruse, such as "Read something set in the past," "Read about other worlds or distant galaxies," or "Read about a culture other than your own."

Other activities are a bit easier: "Recommend a book to a friend," "Check out a cookbook," and "Read a magazine or newspaper article."

I asked Cindy why folks enjoy participating in "Be Well-Read."

"I think it does offer a little bit of nostalgia for some people," she says. "Something like this — it's just fun. It helps provide a little bit of structure for people if they're overwhelmed by everything the library has to offer. And who doesn't like to win a prize?"

And guess how many books or other library items an adult can now check have out at once? One hundred!

Cindy tries to dissuade people from having these many books checked out. But 4-year-old me may have squealed in delight.

My husband, who doesn't think he's a big reader, has joined in. He, however, tends to listen to audiobooks on his commute each day.

"Audiobooks completely count," Cindy assures me. "I hear that from a lot of people. They say, 'I'm not really reading because I'm listening.' I ask them: Are you taking in information? Are you getting entertainment? When they answer yes, I say, 'Sorry to burst your bubble, but you're actually reading.'"

I have until October 28 to get Bingo. I'm already halfway there. But I'm not doing it because I'll get a bright tote bag (but that is pretty cool). Or because I'm overwhelmed by the library's offerings (I think I may have gotten over that decades ago). Or even because it challenges me to look at something new (although that is really great, and I will be pushing myself to try different genres).

I'm doing it because when I'm in this challenge, I'm that young girl again, sitting in my bedroom without a worry in the world, learning about the lives of amazing characters.

I noticed that one of the squares says, "Re-read a childhood favorite." So this past weekend, I checked out some books by Donald Sobol.

I can't wait to see what Encyclopedia Brown is up to.

Michele Wojciechowski Michele "Wojo" Wojciechowski is an award-winning writer who lives in Baltimore, Md. She's the author of the humor book Next Time I Move, They'll Carry Me Out in a Box. Reach her at www.WojosWorld.com. Read More