As a child growing up in rural Buena
Vista (18 miles west of Portsmouth, OH on US52) in the late 1940's, my school was a two room building with first and second grades in one, and third and forth in the other. Aromas of chalk dust, coal smoke, oiled floors and lunch pails filled with baloney or "PBJ samiches"and an apple.
One of my
fondest memories of those imprintable days of youth was of the Bookmobile's visit. Here in an old 1930's bus,
converted to a library on wheels, where you entered in the rear door, up the
steps and into a magical world filled with shelves loaded with new titles on
both sides. Here you chose the books that would fill your bedtime quiet with
stories of places and people and times you may never know. Then with open book
still resting on your little chest, to drift into sleep with visions dancing
about until first light.
In that musty old bus, was one of my first
glimpses to the world beyond my culture. It was on this bus, that I learned to
explore words, ideas, other places, and so much more.
“In a good bookroom you feel in some mysterious way that you are
absorbing the wisdom contained in all the books through your skin,
without even opening them.”
- Mark Twain
Your library, be it a Bookmobile,
school library, or our magnificent Carnegie built Portsmouth Public Library...
is your gateway to exploration.
You can "google," “search,”
“find” so much on the internet… download Kindle, Nook and PDF files to your PC
or reader… the world may well be at your fingertips…
...but nothing can replace the
satisfaction of setting in a library, experiencing the tangible feeling of
holding a real book in your hand, turning page after page as you fill your mind
with words, meanings and visions imagined. All experienced in
the silent solitude among the stacks and rows of millions of words there for
you to discover.
“A library is a good place to go when you feel unhappy, for there, in a
book, you may find encouragement and comfort. A library is a good place
to go when you feel bewildered or undecided, for there, in a book, you
may have your question answered. Books are good company, in sad times
and happy times, for books are people - people who have managed to stay
alive by hiding between the covers of a book.”
- E. B. White
Yes, there are many avenues for
reading sources, but none can replace the sacred home of wisdom and pleasure
know as your Public Library.
This is National Library Week!
Visit the library near you and
rekindle (no pun intended) that experience you can find nowhere else. Retreat
into the solitude of your mind, filling it in single, uninterrupted purpose.
It is your library, use it!
Celebrate
National Library Week With Us! Monday, April 15th
During
NATIONAL LIBRARY WEEK and throughout April, libraries of all types host special
events to highlight the unique role libraries play in people’s lives. Todays
libraries can help you and your family discover a new and exciting world
through collections, digital resources and more. Whether you come for homework
or job searches, help with citizenship issues or finances, adult education
classes or to find the best books for young readers, libraries are a great place
to spend quality time and connect with loved ones and friends.
Portsmouth Public Library Bookmobile
The
Portsmouth Public Library has operated a bookmobile since 1938 and has offered
Homebound Services since 2000. The Outreach Services Department serves all
communities within the Scioto County borders providing specialized services to
pre-schools, daycares, public school, and nursing facilities. The Outreach
Services Department provides large print books, paperbacks, and magazines.
Audio books (books read on CD), DVDs, and descriptive videos for the visually
impaired (DVS) are also available. For more information regarding the Outreach
Services Department, please call (740) 354-5413 or e-mail
Mobile Services Department.