For the Love of Libraries

The children's room downstairs at the Mary S. Biesecker Public Library smelled like imagination and adventure when I was a kid. It likely still does. In actuality it was probably the smell of old books.

If I had my way, every child would have the chance to smell imagination and adventure, and that's where libraries come in.

A library is one of the few places you're encouraged and welcomed to just walk in, stay a while, wander and wonder, without the obligation of buying a thing. A library is an oasis for the mind and body.

So, when earlier this year a library in the westernmost portion of Allegany County Maryland, the county where I live, was going through some hard times I knew I wanted to help in some way.

Westernport Library, which was built in 1970, was chosen as one of three of our six county libraries to be closed down.

There's a lot of love for that little library and a group aptly named Save The Westernport Library was quickly formed. The group worked hard and successfully raised enough money to persuade Allegany County to keep it, as well as all six of its much-needed libraries, operational.

Tragically, the very day after Allegany County decided to keep its libraries open a flood ravaged Westernport Library.

The flood didn't dampen the resolve of Save The Westernport Library; it only solidified it. They have been working harder than ever to get that library back in shape.

When I saw their mascot, a little green bookworm named Benny Bookman, I knew that I could pen a story about Benny and the library. With the help of my friend Brian Michael, I whipped up a storyboard and final story in less than a month and tomorrow, Saturday, December 6th from 10 am until 3 pm at Boal Funeral Home in Westernport, Maryland, my story Benny Bookman and the Soggy Library will be for sale.

I gifted the text copyright to Save The Westernport Library and every dollar raised will go straight to doing just that. I want to be a part of saving a library so that maybe someday another little girl can walk into a library and discover what imagination and adventure smells like.