A Library Story from Mrs. Foltz

How has the library changed my life? Well, for one thing, when I grew up I went to work in a library. Actually, I've worked in three kinds of libraries: a medical library in a hospital; an elementary school library; and now Glendale's Library. My first Library love, though, was the Brentwood Library. I spent many, many hours there as a kid and I was so proud of my library card. It was plain manilla cardstock, like a file folder, and had a little metal plate on it with my name imprinted there. I checked out all kinds of books to read on my own, to have my mother read to me, or to read myself to my younger brother. Still, I think the most influential book I ever found was Like Cotton Candy on a Rainy Day by Nikki Giovanni. It was a book of poetry. I picked it up because I liked the title. Once I started reading the poems inside, though, I was hooked. I liked the words, the way they felt in my mouth when I read them out loud, the way they looked on the page. Before long, I was writing my own poetry. As an adult I got the chance to see Nikki Giovanni in person at Missouri State University when she visited to read some of her poems. It was so awesome to see her after having met her all those years ago in a book I found at the Library.