This book first came into stock at my library a few months ago. It was large print, which completely put me off, but I had been a follower of the campaign to put it together on twitter, I was a fan of many of the contributors, and I felt it was a great cause.
I read the large print edition, it made my eyes go funny but it was worth it. To read how we wouldn't have such creative minds as Stephen Fry and Zadie Smith and Susan Hill as they are today if it weren't for their access to the public library warmed my heart.
I promptly went to the shop and bought the standard sized copy, much cuter being pocket sized, and it is one of my most treasured books. It epitomises why I went into Librarianship myself, libraries are not just about books or computers, but about information, in whichever form it comes to you. It is about accurate and reliable information, and teaching you as a user how to find information you can trust. Information is absolutely the key to becoming the most that you can be as an individual and our nation should celebrate how easy it is for us to access it.
There isn't much more I can say about this book, it is a wonderful quick read of short anecdotes from some of the most prominent authors of our time, but I would like to share one of my many favourite snippets, this from Karin Slaughter about why she thinks we should encourage reading in children, I see the differences between children who are encouraged not only to read, but to enjoy reading, and those who are not every day at work, and this is surprisingly accurate:
"Children are selfish. Reading about other people creates a sense of balance in a child's life. It gives them the knowledge that there is a world outside themselves."
All royalties for the book go to The Reading Agency, which helps to support library events up and down the country, encouraging reading for all ages and abilities.
The Library Book is only £5.16 at the Book Depository, and it could help one more person find the information they have been looking for.