When I was a kid, living in Brooklyn, NY, a Friday visit to the local public library was part of our family routine. I have no memory of when I had my first library card. But at some point, I had one and was allowed to walk to the library on my own. Which I did, often. To be sure, I was only allowed to use the “Children’s Section,” walled in by low bookcases off to one side of the main floor.
At the same time, we kids were encouraged to have individual libraries. There was always a gift book at Christmas and birthdays, which helped to build it.
It must have been known I liked books because I have one — dated December 23, 1947 — my tenth birthday — as a gift. Inscribed on the title page, it reads,
“To Edward from his friends: Susan/Biff/John/Ann Elizabeth”
Each name is written by a different hand. I still have that book.
I have no memory of a public school library, so I am not even sure there was one. We only used basil readers, though at some point book reports were due. I must have used my local public library.
[photo: James Steakley, WIkipedia CC BY-SA 3.0]
At the University of Wisconsin (Madison) where I went (a double major, History and Theatre) there was a large academic library. Not only did I use it to study, but I worked there as a student clerk. It was in the university’s annual student literary publication that I was published for the first time — a one-act play.
In the 1960s, in NYC, my wife and I — she a modern dancer, I a would-be playwright — tried to cobble a life together with a variety of jobs in the time-honored way of young artists—doing this and that. Then she became ill. It fell to me to find regular employment. In search of work, I wandered into the main branch of the NY Public Library the one with those lions at the main entrance, known as “Patience” and “Fortitude.”
It turned out the Theatre Collection — one of the library’s divisions — needed a clerk. Moreover, I learned that they would soon be moving into new quarters at the brand-new Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts. With expanded facilities, they would be hiring librarians.
I got the job, and within a week had enrolled at Columbia University Library School. Recall that I was a playwright (writing mostly bad plays), so this was a lovely fit. I would work at the Theatre Collection for ten years until my low salary and growing family pushed for change.
I became humanities librarian, and instructor in library skills for all new liberal arts students at what was then known as Trenton State College. I held that job for some twenty years, working there when my first book, Things That Sometimes Happen was published in 1970. I wrote my first historical novel, Captain Grey, during a forced vacation (or sorts) when the faculty went on strike. The setting for Wolf Rider is that campus. I lost a friend because he became convinced that the villain of the piece was based on him — not so. Beyond all else colleagues and bosses were always supportive of my writing.
During this time I was also haunting flea markets in search of old children’s books, building up a library of some three thousand historically interesting volumes. At a later date, I would give them all to the University of Connecticut, which had just created a children’s book collection.
Having published a fair number of books I decided to leave library work and see if I could support myself and family with my writing. I decided to try for a year, promising myself that I only needed to make as much as my librarian’s salary. A low bar, to be sure. With that achieved I left being a working librarian.
By then I was writing more historical fiction and my library knowledge helped create a new way of working. I knew how to do research, and whenever I chose a new book topic, I gathered up a small library on the subject.
Books from books if you will, until I amassed a library of some five thousand books. I was the only librarian. And patron.
As the kids grew and left home, we moved to a much smaller place. I gave (not sold) most of those five thousand books to used bookstores. I had plenty left.
I kept writing and built small library collections for specific research projects. Between Inter-library Loan and used bookstores (via the Internet) I can pretty much get any book I need.
Recently I was trying to decide among three prospective projects, each very different from the others. Trying to make up my mind I collected three libraries, one for each subject.
I chose one. But I can always turn to the others if I have the need. I already have a library for each project.
Finally, when in Denver and taking my daily walk, I plan my route from “Little Library” to “Little Library.”
Ever the librarian. I just write some of the books.
