When I was in the third grade my teacher asked if I had a city library card. I said no, and she said I should get one. I said okay and went home and asked my mom to take me to the library up the street from our house. When I stepped into that library, I fell in love. There were so many books, and I had to read them all. The Dallas Public Library is where I discovered and fell in love with The Baby-sitters Club and so many other books.

I often refer to my middle (and high)middle as a school for nerds because it was a talented and gifted academy. I mention this because in the seventh grade, we took a field trip downtown to the Dallas Central Library to learn how to do research. Because it was a school for nerds, and these are the types of field trips we took. When I stepped foot into this place and saw the young adult section, the heavens sang.

Up until that point, I’d only visited one-story branch libraries. The central library was 8 stories tall and had SOOO many books. I’m sure I learned how to do research that day, but I also took home as many books as I could carry. Later that night, I showed my mom my haul and told her she had to take me back there ASAP because they had SO. MANY. BOOKS.

She did every time I asked, and it was awesome.

Over the years, I’ve gone to the library less and less as I’ve come to depend on bookstores. Every time I do go, I tell myself I need to go more often. Even if I didn’t want to check out books, they have TONS of movies and TV shows on DVD. It’s like Netflix, but free!

Anywho, a couple of days ago, somehow I got to thinking about Nora Roberts’ Born in Fire. It’s one of, if not my favorite, book. I was like “Oh, I haven’t read it in so long. I want to read it!” Unfortunately, my copy is in a box at my mother’s house all the way across town. But I’m me, and once I become fixated on something, it is O-V-E-R. I can think about nothing else until I get what I want.

So I headed to Amazon to see how much the ebook cost. $7.99. For a book I already own? When I’m as cheap as I am? Yeah, no. But again, I’m me, and I don’t take too kindly to obstacles.

I stewed for a bit until it dawned on me. TRY THE LIBRARY!

I crossed my fingers, went to dallaslibrary.org, and searched for the Born in Fire ebook.

AND THEY HAD IT. AND IT WAS AVAILABLE TO CHECK OUT!

I did so as fast as I could, and soon I was reading Born in Fire. Best decision ever.

I fell in love with the book and the characters all over again. And felt completely inadequate as a writer, but that’s okay because the book is sooo good.

So thank you, Dallas Public Library (and other libraries I’ve patroned over the years) for always being there and having SO. MANY. BOOKS.

Jamie Wesley, Romance Author