12 One Sentence Library Stories We Love by Lauren Weiss, CommunicationsMay 12, 2016

One Sentence Stories

Right now, New York City leaders are trying to decide how much funding to give libraries next year. To meet rising demands, libraries are hoping to have their budgets restored to 2008 levels. City leaders will make this decision based on hearing from folks like you.

That's why we've been asked New Yorkers to tell us in one sentence why they love the library or how it has impacted their life—and 2,000 New Yorkers have already written sentences! Some have been funny, some have been heartwarming, but all have shown the many ways public libraries serve an important role in communities all over New York City.

It was hard to narrow it down, but we pulled a few of our favorite stories to share with you, and hope you'll read the rest and submit your own!

Do you have a one sentence library story to share? Submit your sentence here!

Want to see the rest of the submissions? Read them here, below the submission form!

"I was lucky enough to have a public library stocked with books on the craft of comics; had I not discovered those books, I never would've had the knowledge of how to pursue a career in cartooning." - Jeff Kinney, Author, Diary of A Wimpy Kid
"I met my loving wife in the Rose Reading Room 27 years ago this June." - Stephen, Manhattan
"The NY Public Library for the Performing Arts, Jerome Robbins Dance Division, accepted memorabilia of my Mother's dance career that would have otherwise been discarded which gave me much peace of mind and joy that she would be remembered and that her piece of dance history would be shared with others 'forever'." - Roberta, Library for the Perfoming Arts
"Crime and Punishment was the first grownup book I ever checked out of the library as a teenager; now I have a PhD in Russian Literature." - Nancy, Bloomingdale
"My soul is happy when I go to the library, sometimes I just enter to see books... being there is enough to make me feel good, complete." - Maria, Queens & Manhattan
"Although I am poor, with the New York Public Library I have access to a better library than a Renaissance prince." - Steve, Mulberry Street
"It's the BEST place to be bored!" - Judy, Manhattan
"Imagine if zombies needed not blood but books to read and libraries to plunder lest they expire forever: that's how crucial the new york public library has been for me ever since my first visits to the children's room so many years and so many pages ago." - Joanna, Jefferson Market
"Growing up in a family where there wasn't much money to buy anything other than necessary schoolbooks, the library gave me a magical entry into new worlds, cultures and ideas to fuel my imagination and inspire me to explore topics I would have never known existed." - Linda, Manhattan
"As an early-30 years-old orphaned-adult, I found my entire Family History at the NYPL at 42nd Street, in the 1980's, and altered the course of my life forever." - Terence, 42nd Street Branch, Manhattan
"Multiple books, borrowed from multiple libraries around the world, are my real education: libraries are the true educators!" - Vatsala, Manhattan/New York City
"From walking up the steps of the bookmobile at age four to perusing the shelves at age 70 the public library has always been an important part of my life." - Jeff, Brooklyn

Feeling inspired to submit your own library story? Submit your one sentence now!

One Sentence Stories

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Comments

Patron-generated content represents the views and interpretations of the patron, not necessarily those of The New York Public Library. For more information see NYPL's Website Terms and Conditions.

Love libraries

Submitted by Marilyn Baker (not verified) on May 15, 2016 - 7:38am

I have trouble getting it down to one sentence! I LOVE libraries and books, I got the class award in 5th grade for having read the most books of all my classmates, the prize was the most wonderful book, huge, filled w colorful pictures of wonderful cities in the World to visit, I spent the summer in that book!!!