Personal Kingston Library Stories:
Susan J. Ragusa, Volunteer Friends of Kingston Library
Late Bloomer: How I Fell in Love with Books (and Libraries)
I didn’t grow up with a bookshelf in my bedroom. I wasn’t the kid staying up past
bedtime with a flashlight and a worn paperback. For most of my early life, books weren’t
something I reached for—they weren’t even on my radar. I didn’t not like reading. I
just… never really got the chance to fall in love.
Life kept moving—school, work, family, responsibilities. I always admired bookish
people, the way they could talk about characters as if they were friends, how they knew
obscure historical facts, could quote poetry without blinking. But I assumed that kind of
connection to books was something you had to build early, like learning a second
language as a kid.
Then, one day, something shifted. I don’t even remember the exact moment. Maybe it
was a recommendation from a friend. Maybe it was curiosity. Or maybe—like all the best
stories—it just found me when I needed it.
I picked up a book. I actually finished it. And then another. Suddenly, I was a reader.
And the library? That’s when the real magic began.
Walking into a library as an adult who had just discovered books felt like stepping into a
wonderland I hadn’t realized was mine all along. The hush of the aisles, the quiet buzz of
curiosity, the smell of old pages and new ideas—it was all electric to me. A treasure chest
with no gatekeeper, just open doors.
Libraries gave me what I didn’t know I’d been craving: freedom to explore, to wander, to
learn without pressure. They gave me joy. Discovery. Knowledge. And a community.
Libraries aren’t just places to borrow books—they are living, breathing testaments to
hope, generosity, and the power of story.
One my regrets about not reading at an earlier age is science shows reading fiction as
you age is like giving your brain a multivitamin—it’s all about combating the kind of
everyday memory troubles that plague most of us as we age. I am slowly migrating to
fiction from some of the other genres that are non-fiction
Libraries don’t care when you find your way to them—only that you do. Whatever your
age they welcome you like an old friend.
So yes, I came to books late. But I arrived.
We continue to collect patron experiences of the Kingston Library. It's such a personal relationship, and we want to celebrate it, with your help. Please send us an (up to) 300-word story on why you love your library, or an experience you had at the Kingston Library, and we'll feature as many as we can in our online edition! Libraries are meant to be shared, and so are your stories. Email your stories to fokl@friendsofkingstonlibrary.org Attn: My Story about Kingston Library.
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