The Happiest Place on Earth

Disneyland long ago coined themselves to be "the happiest place on Earth." I like Disneyland as much as the next person...in fact, we did a blog post on the cats behind the Disneyland scenes just last year.

But when I think of the place that makes me happiest, there's no Mickey or Donald or fast-moving rides. Instead, there are books. Rows and piles and stacks of books. All of which are free to borrow.

For me, a library is the happiest place on Earth.


I have been a library geek for as long as I can remember, electrified by the power and the magic and the possibilities inside the four walls. We had a terrific branch and staff within walking distance of my house when I was kid. I spent many, many hours there, and know for sure they contributed to my love of reading, and my excitement for creating my own stories. So upon the release of my first book, Top Ten Uses for an Unworn Prom Dress, I mailed a signed copy to the current head librarian, in hopes he'd display it as written by a former teen patron.

These days, I live on the other side of the country, and enjoy the services of another terrific library system. It recently added an electronic component, where a patron can request books from any of the branches, receive an e-mail when it arrives at the local branch, and another as a due date reminder. It just doesn't get any easier than that, huh? I was happy to show my gratitude and support by donating a couple boxes of signed books last year to their teen summer reading program.

So since this blog post is a love letter to libraries, please feel free to leave a comment telling us something cool about yours.