By Karen Hemle
Special to the NKyTribune
Can you imagine Boone County without a library?
Sounds horrifying, but it is true. Local resident Betty McDavid says there wasn’t a library in Boone County until 1974.
“Before Boone County had a library we had to go to Erlanger for books. I’m so thankful we have our own now,” McDavid said. “I read over 200 books a year. I couldn’t afford to buy all the ones I want to read.”
While books are the main attraction, McDavid also appreciates and enjoys the concerts and classes held at the library.
“I especially like hearing authors speak of their life and works,” McDavid said. “I’m from a family of readers and passed it on.”
There are four generations of McDavids using the library at the present time. Betty’s two daughters Sheree McDavid Breitholle and Christy Biggs are regular patrons as is Sheree’s daughter Kate Moore who brings her daughter to visit.
McDavid Breitholle has great memories from her youth when her father would drive them to the library, “When I was young we went to the library in Erlanger,” she said. My mother didn’t drive, so my daddy would take us. He would wait in the car but always said, ‘Don’t hurry, take your time.’ We were so excited when Boone County got its own library.”
Later, the now-closed Lents became her library home.
“It was a place to take my daughter for activities and exploring the shelves (and) the Lents staff became my library family,” McDavid Breitholle said. “I have many treasured friendships and memories of all my time there. I love all of the concerts, classes and book clubs sponsored by the library. It’s such a special place.
McDavid Breitholle now shares “this wonderful place” with her granddaughter.
“As I see her participating in Storytime, exploring the activities, and getting books from the shelves I can hear my Daddy saying ‘Don’t hurry, take your time,’” she said.
Biggs has similar warm feelings about the library.
“I grew up in a very rural area with not a lot of close neighbors and books were an opportunity to experience far off places and have adventures with characters like Alice and Dorothy,” Biggs said. “I visited places like Narnia and Neverland while remaining safe in my own backyard. We didn’t have the money to buy all of the books we wanted to read so the library was essential.”
Biggs remembers when the first Boone County library branch opened in Florence when she was a little girl.
“I remember standing in the children’s section and being excited to learn the number of books that I could check out at one time,” Biggs said. “I don’t ever think that I left with anything less than the maximum allowed amount.”
Throughout the years the library has become not only a form of escape but a place for Biggs to learn more about topics that caught her interest.
“I now check out at least as many ‘how to’ books as I do novels,” she said. “ I may not master the skill but I certainly get further than I would just trying to figure out stuff on my own steam.”
McDavid Breitholle also passed her love of libraries on to her daughter Kate Moore.
“Some of my earliest and fondest memories are going to the library with my mom. It was a special place,” Moore said. “We would go to Storytime at Florence and all the other fun events and classes, then later at Lents. As an adult, Mom and I still participate in book clubs together and different library concerts, speakers, book sales and classes at Main.
Moore recalls the excitement of getting her very own library card.
“Summer Reading has always been one of my favorite times of the year,” she said. “I fill out my book log as soon as I finish a book and it’s a race with myself to see how many books I can read, no matter how busy I am.”
The library has exposed Moore to new authors and new books to discover.
“It is still a special place to me and my family and has brought a lot of joy” Moore said. “I bring my daughter to Storytime when I can, we play and read in the children’s area and we participate together in the summer reading activities. She was old enough this year to pick out her own summer reading prizes and she was so happy.”
Before she was two years old Moore’s daughter recognized the library building when we would drive by.
“I was so proud that she already knew the library as a special place,” Moore said. “I look forward to her excitement the day she gets her very own library card. I hope that when she is my age that some of her earliest and fondest memories will be of going to the library with her mom. “
Here’s hoping the McDavid family’s love of the library inspires you to come in and find your own library experience. You might even hear the voice of Sheree’s father saying “Don’t hurry, take your time.”
Karen Helmle has been with BCPL since 1999, first as a Circulation Assistant. She is currently a Public Service Associate.