Siobhan Cullen

Books and Libraries

You can’t have one without the other!

I am an avid reader, many people can say this but how many people can actually remember the very first time they fell in love with books? I can.

I was 6 years old and sick in bed. My Dad often came home for lunch and this day, knowing I was sick, he brought me the first 2 Enid Blyton books of the Mallory Towers series. So he gave me 2 books, big deal you might think, however, it was to be the start of a lifelong friendship with books. To his surprise when he returned home that evening I’d both books finished and wanted more and even now just having one on my “to be read” shelf isn’t enough. My parents could not keep me in books, as, once I discovered reading I just couldn’t stop. It was even more surprising given that neither of my parents were readers. I would disappear in the house and be found in a corner somewhere, anywhere, with a book in my hand. I would miss the bus stop home from school as I would be too engrossed in a book. I would be sent down the country to relatives over the holidays, yay, they were readers and the complaints back home were always along the lines of she doesn’t do much work, does she with her head always stuck in a book. The art of reading under the pillow with a torch was quickly mastered and then perfected when I was sent to boarding school as too was the art of having a book hidden underneath whatever I was supposed to be studying in the study hall. Books, books, books I couldn’t get enough of them but, as usual price was a factor which is where my life long membership of local libraries came into their own.

There is nothing like the feeling I get when I walk into a library, my little heart does a flutter. Where will I look this week, which section will I try. The staff are always so helpful and I bring my new book home. That night I feel it, smell it, open it and wonder how many other readers’ hands this book has been through and what their stories are. Then the read starts, an average book I will finish in a couple of days, a good book, well let’s say God Help my family, everything gets forgotten, housework, dinners I have even been known to put myself into the most uncomfortable position possible in bed so I don’t fall asleep. Mad? Me? Totally!

Twitter has been a fascinating place for “meeting” readers, getting suggestions, discussing books, it is like a cyber book club and I am very thankful to all the tweeters who have recommended terrific books through me. I am lucky that South Dublin County Council Libraries are regular tweeters and keep me up to date with what is going on.

Finally, if you love books and are an avid reader, like me, you will never be lonely. There is always another world to totally immerse myself in and forget everything else. To me nothing beats the smell and feel of a book, the excitement of opening the first chapter and the sadness in closing the last; it’s like the end of a friendship. I doubt if an ereader will ever be for me except perhaps to free up some luggage weight as I always travel on holidays with 5 books per week. Yes my dream holiday, sun, pool or sea, comfortable sun lounger, my books and dinner handed to me every evening.

One of the best gifts you can give a child is the gift of reading and I would like to take this opportunity to say a massive Thank You to My Dad

Thank you to Siobhan for being a South Dublin Library Champion…and by the way…we love your Tweets!