HIT: Gary Paulsen on Libraries

[Anita Mentzer <lybbym@POSTOFFICE.PTD.NET>]

Guess I posted a hit too soon - I was so excited to get all of your
replies.  Here I go again with two more.  The first response by Jeff and
Mike of Econoclad Books is the one I heard at PSLA.  Thanks everyone for
your replies.

-----------

I would have been an intellectual idiot without the library.  I was a
miserable student and flunked the ninth grade and finally graduated from
high school with probably a D-average.  I had a miserable home life and I
would sell newspapers to the drunks at the local bars to make a little
money.  I went into a library one night in a small town in northern
Minnesota to get warm and the librarian asked me if I wanted something.  I
said, no, I just wanted warm up a little.

At that point very few people had ever given me anything.  Both my folks
were drinking and it was a rough run.  And then she said, "Do you want a
library card?"  So I said yeah.  She handed me a card with my name on it--my
name--which was amazing to me.  And then she asked if I wanted a book.  I
said, "Sure," kind of cocky.  And she said to bring it back when I was done
and she'd give me another.

This went on for a long time.  The librarian kept giving me books;  at first
it took me a month to read a book, then two weeks, then a week, and pretty
soon I was reading two books a week.  She'd give me Westerns and science
fiction and every once in a while she'd  schlepp in a Melville.  It saved
me, it really did.

I still read like that, like I tell kids, like a wolf eats.  I read myslef
to sleep every night.  And I don't think any of the good things that have
happened to me would have been possible without that librarian and libraries
in general.

Gary Paulsen


I hope this is what you are looking for.

Jeff Brown / Mike Printz
  e-mail: support@econoclad.com
 web page: http://www.econoclad.com/
---------------------

In the May/June 1991 Book Report there was an interview with Gary Paulsen
where he mentions the impact of libraries/librarians and reading on his
life.  I have used the interview with student groups and they are always
inpressed.

Donna L. Updyke    dupdyke@csc.sctboces.org
Waverly Jr.-Sr. High School Library
Waverly, New York  14892

Anita Mentzer
Annville-Cleona Sch Dist
Annville, PA 17078
lybbym@postoffice.ptd.net