Take A Look at
Non-Fiction Books!
When I was a kid, I was obsessed with the non-fiction collection at our local library. While my little sisters scoured the picture books, I would get lost in the Dewey decimal system. I loved how each topic had its own number and, at every 100 numbers, there was a whole new collection of topics to explore.
Alone in the stacks, I would pick a shelf and look through every book it held. I was taught never to judge a book by its cover, so I left no stone unturned. If I found myself stopping to read the book, I put it in the pile. This would go on for hours.
When it was time to leave, they'd find me sitting on the floor, surrounded by stacks of books, incredibly pleased with my weekly haul. I'd go home and read obsessively, learning new topics that sparked my search during our next trip to the library.
In the late 90's, our card catalog was upgraded to a fancy, new computer system. While I missed the drawers full of cards, I loved how much farther my interests could go. The internet was brand new back then, and very few people had it in their homes, let alone their hands. The idea of simply typing in what you wanted and having it search the entire library collection was astonishing.
As a teen, it became a game; I spent hours searching different topics and keywords just to see how they connected to one another. Soon, the card catalog became my gateway to the world.
I read up on different fields of science, history, and fine arts. I read about the struggles iconic figures faced throughout their lives and the obstacles leaders tackled with grace and poise. When I had questions- personal, existential, educational, political, or otherwise- the library's non-fiction collections had opinions and answers to share.
This Fall, our Beanstack Back-to-School Reading Challenge shares the joy of non-fiction titles. Toddlers to Teens are encouraged to read five (5) non-fiction titles between September 12th and November 18th. Track your progress using the new Beanstack app to claim your prize and free book!
We spent the summer adding books to our juvenile non-fiction collections. New and exciting titles are on display now. Stop by the library, or check out our online catalog, to enter a whole new world of reading adventures!
~Katrina Brocka, VMPL Library Assistant
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