The Osterhout Library on Airy Street
One of the best places to go to during my childhood was this branch of the public library in Wilkes-Barre. It's where I first discovered the width and breadth of "books" in a childlike way. This small branch of the library was on the corner of Stanton and Airy streets, up the hill from where I lived. I discovered Beverly Cleary and the delightful Henry Huggins there. Jenny the Cat with her beautiful red scarf. Miss Tiggywinkle the hedgehog and silly Peter Rabbit. It was perfectly quiet, cool, calm, a little dark. My dad used to take me there once a week when I started reading, and soon after that I was able to walk up there by myself, which could be considered slightly dangerous because my nose would be in a book before I got out the door. I actually used to walk and read at the same time...I'd be there, any season, just for more good books to read. I marvel at what a little bookworm I was.
I remember going there alone one Good Friday, during one of my elementary school years. I was forbidden to watch TV or listen to the radio between 12 and 3, and I needed another book, so off I went. I ran out of the green gate on Huber St. and turned right at the corner bar. Up Stanton St., past another corner bar one block away, past Zedock's Cleaners, across the street from a car dealer... Luckily, there was a light at the corner where I had to cross Hazle St., which I thought was a really really busy street at the time. I crossed Stanton St. there, too. Up the steeper part of the hill, I noticed that some black rainclouds had blocked the sun. Uh-oh. I got into the library just in time. I picked out some books, checked them out with my own library card, and decided to wait it out. The thunder shook the big glass window in the front of the place, so I hunkered down on the floor near Beverly Cleary. The librarian smiled, but really didn't say anything much.
After the storm passed, I walked out into the clean spring air, crossed Stanton St. and entered the penny candy store. I loved getting the Red Swedish Fish...I usually only got a few, but they were so fresh and good, and lasted the whole way home. Now Good Friday was truly good...a new book to read, some forbidden lenten candy, fresh air, and a sense of freedom. The experience was a great prelude to Easter.
One summer, I even read the most books of any neighborhood kid during their summer reading program. Best of all, that was before libraries gave out prizes or little trinkets for reading so many books. That library's gift to me was the books themselves. Thanks, Osterhout on Airy, from the little girl on Huber St. who lived in the house with the big chestnut tree in front.
One of the best places to go to during my childhood was this branch of the public library in Wilkes-Barre. It's where I first discovered the width and breadth of "books" in a childlike way. This small branch of the library was on the corner of Stanton and Airy streets, up the hill from where I lived. I discovered Beverly Cleary and the delightful Henry Huggins there. Jenny the Cat with her beautiful red scarf. Miss Tiggywinkle the hedgehog and silly Peter Rabbit. It was perfectly quiet, cool, calm, a little dark. My dad used to take me there once a week when I started reading, and soon after that I was able to walk up there by myself, which could be considered slightly dangerous because my nose would be in a book before I got out the door. I actually used to walk and read at the same time...I'd be there, any season, just for more good books to read. I marvel at what a little bookworm I was.
I remember going there alone one Good Friday, during one of my elementary school years. I was forbidden to watch TV or listen to the radio between 12 and 3, and I needed another book, so off I went. I ran out of the green gate on Huber St. and turned right at the corner bar. Up Stanton St., past another corner bar one block away, past Zedock's Cleaners, across the street from a car dealer... Luckily, there was a light at the corner where I had to cross Hazle St., which I thought was a really really busy street at the time. I crossed Stanton St. there, too. Up the steeper part of the hill, I noticed that some black rainclouds had blocked the sun. Uh-oh. I got into the library just in time. I picked out some books, checked them out with my own library card, and decided to wait it out. The thunder shook the big glass window in the front of the place, so I hunkered down on the floor near Beverly Cleary. The librarian smiled, but really didn't say anything much.
After the storm passed, I walked out into the clean spring air, crossed Stanton St. and entered the penny candy store. I loved getting the Red Swedish Fish...I usually only got a few, but they were so fresh and good, and lasted the whole way home. Now Good Friday was truly good...a new book to read, some forbidden lenten candy, fresh air, and a sense of freedom. The experience was a great prelude to Easter.
One summer, I even read the most books of any neighborhood kid during their summer reading program. Best of all, that was before libraries gave out prizes or little trinkets for reading so many books. That library's gift to me was the books themselves. Thanks, Osterhout on Airy, from the little girl on Huber St. who lived in the house with the big chestnut tree in front.
posted by Reading Reader | 5:17 PM
1 Comments:
They are truly magical places, aren't they? My love affair is with Scranton's Albright Library. The stonework is so gorgeous.
I remember one of my favorite books from a school library in Germany being about folklore monsters and such like the Jersey Devil and Bigfoot - and of course, Jack Prelutsky's poetry, especially The New Kid On The Block.
At another school library mine was the only name in the check-out card of a certain mythology book for about two years. A few years later my cousin became obsessed with the same book (same school) and we got a laugh out of her doing the same thing.
Happy memories. Is it any wonder I want to be a librarian?
Post a Comment
<< Home