This site uses cookies to improve your experience and to provide services and advertising.
By continuing to browse, you agree to the use of cookies described in our Cookies Policy.
You may change your settings at any time but this may impact on the functionality of the site.
To learn more see our
Cookies Policy.
Download our app
9 things you really miss about your childhood library trips
1. Choosing your books
Before the internet the most browsing you did was along book shelves. The library held endless tales to explore.
Ruth_W Ruth_W
emerthescreamer emerthescreamer
www.vintagecobweb.com www.vintagecobweb.com
O'Brien Press O'Brien Press
2. Graduating onto the Young Adult section
Leaving the kids’ books behind and moving onto the higher shelves was a very grown-up moment.
BlogSpot BlogSpot
Wikimedia Wikimedia
Wikimedia Wikimedia
guybrariang guybrariang
3. Library cards and tickets
Before computerised systems each library member had their own card envelope, and each book had a ticket.
Watching the librarian go through the ritual of checking out the books was a joy in itself.
Erinzam Erinzam
quisnovus quisnovus
4. Seeing how many times your book had been checked out
The date stamps could go back years.
Floating World Floating World
Shutterstock.com Shutterstock.com
dorywithserifs dorywithserifs
5. The stamp
Hands up who coveted one to bring home?
SomeDriftwood SomeDriftwood
6. Sitting on the floor
More room for page-turning.
Flickr Flickr
sekihan sekihan
Gareth Chaney / Photocall Ireland! Gareth Chaney / Photocall Ireland! / Photocall Ireland!
Imgur Imgur
7. Finding notes/names/dates/bookmarks  inside books
Imgur Imgur
Bookinscriptions Bookinscriptions
8. The toys and the tiny tables and chairs
Sherburne Memorial Library Sherburne Memorial Library
Imgur Imgur
9. Setting up your own library at home
It’s okay if you still think being a librarian is a dream job. We do too.
Imaginationsoup Imaginationsoup
Read: Here’s why Judy Blume is a legend>
More: 13 of the hardest things about being a book lover>
To embed this post, copy the code below on your site
childrens library kids library late fines library memories library nostalgia Nostalgia Overdue story time