Indelible

Indelible: Denver’s Lasting Impressions of the Library.  Denver Public Library.  Tattered Cover Press, 2014.

The Denver Public Library, to celebrate its 125th anniversary this year, asked the community to submit short essays to be considered for inclusion in a commemorative book. The topic to write about was what you love about the library. I submitted an essay about the many ways my life has been enriched by DPL, from my finding there the book that first put me on the path of vegan activism, which led to my meeting and marrying my husband of 25 years, to my being hired as a DPL librarian where I worked until retirement, to saving me thousands of dollars over the years on books and movies. My essay was among those selected and is included in the book. I have good company between these covers: well-known authors and scholars, people looking for a better life and using library resources to achieve it, children and teens whose awareness of the world expands beyond what they’d previously thought possible. Many of the stories people share bring a lump to the throat, and remind readers of the vital importance and lasting influence of our public libraries.