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Robin Cangie (she/her)'s avatar

Okay, confession time: all your pictures are wonderful, but as soon as I saw the orange cat, I squealed, "Eeeeee!!" Inside my head, but still. Full-on squeal.

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Lynda Heines's avatar

Yeah, that's our little ritual in the morning. If she doesn't get that time, she screams at me. Well, she talks alot which can be pretty annoying at times!

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Robin Cangie (she/her)'s avatar

Aw, I have a ginger girl who’s much the same! Morning time is non-negotiable. 😸

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Ryn Kingsley's avatar

Same!

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Sherrie Spangler's avatar

What a wonderful essay about one of my favorite places! It brought back many good memories for me, especially of the huge Carnegie Library in Pittsburgh where I went many Saturdays after my art classes at Carnegie-Mellon. I miss the massive wooden card catalog and the rambling rooms and hushed atmosphere, especially on snowy days. Thanks! Sherrie

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Lynda Heines's avatar

Sherrie, So glad it brought back memories. I bet that Pittsburgh library was amazing.

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Cynthia Boatright Raleigh's avatar

OOhhhh, yes! I love Willard. That satisfying creak of the old oak as you climb the stairs to the genealogy research floor! I do miss it. I didn't know there had been a public library in Washington School. My daughter attended middle school there (we lived directly two blocks north on Powell).

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Lynda Heines's avatar

Yep, it was a great library close to home. And I love the creak of the wood as we climb those steps I took a pic of! You have got to make a road trip down here. I'll even go thrift shopping with you to find some treasures to write about!!

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Kirsi Dahl's avatar

Oh, Lynda, a great love letter to libraries. I have written about my memories of libraries from my youth - it's so dream-like to think about the Carnegie-style architecture, the sound of book spines in the silent rooms, the squeak of the wood floors. A common thread for us, I see. :)

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Lynda Heines's avatar

Kirsi, Thank you! Yes, what a wonderful common thread. I’m glad Willard is still there with the same sounds and smells. The new libraries are nice but just not the same.

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Gabriella's avatar

Such a cute library!

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Carole Lockwood's avatar

Never knew the library at Washington grade school was a public library.

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Lynda Heines's avatar

Carole, several public schools got funding for having the libraries in their schools until about 63.

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Jennifer Jones's avatar

Beautiful Library memories Lynda. They prompted me to think about the libraries I've visited. Our local library is one of my favourite 'hang out' places where I go most weeks. We also have our big city library in Melbourne which is historic and wonderful. I visited the Salt Lake City library once when I went to Rootstech. That was an amazing experience.

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