For The Love Of Books And Libraries

First published in The Camden Chronicle February 21, 1990. Picked up by The Dearborn Press and Guide and The Dearborn Times -Herald. 

Terry and the Pirates Vol. 2: 1937-1938

by Milton Caniff

Fifty years ago at Liberty School, Herman Presson taught me how to read. Then he taught me why I should read. Finally, through his Friday afternoon storytelling sessions, he showed me how to enjoy reading. Mr. Presson could get more action, excitement and pure romance from a book than anyone I've met since I left his care. If books were as compelling and stories were as amazing as Mr. Herman convinced me they were, I couldn't wait 'til I could read and understand books for myself.

Alex Raymond's Jungle Jim (November 26, 1939)

I have not been disappointed. Books have long been my main source of relaxation and learning. My early reading was made up mostly of comic books. Some the the lads read Captain Marvel and Superman, but my taste ran more towards Jungle Jim and Terry and the Pirates. Somehow the supernatural antics of the Superman type stories never appealed to me.

Then came the "Big Little" books. Anyone old enough to remember when the Dixie Theatre sat smack in the middle of the block on the east side of the Court House in Camden will recall these marvels of literature. On one page were printed words and on the next page was a picture pertaining to the story. They were just the right size to fit in your hip pocket and were always handy to fend off loneliness. They were also nice to have in your pocket in case your old man or teacher decided to correct your attitude.

As I grew, I read almost all of Zane Grey's books, then I moved on to Jack London's "White Fang" and "Martin Eden." After reading Grey and London, comic books and the Big Little Books were too light for me.

The people in Camden and Benton County are lucky. You have a well stocked library to borrow from. I know because two years ago I spent the best part of an afternoon there just browsing through the books on the shelves and visiting with the volunteer librarian on duty.

These winter months are the perfect time for anyone to read, but especially so for retirees and people on Disability. Go down to the library. Get yourself a library card, if you don't already have one, then check out some good books. Don't look for books that are easy to read. Get the ones with words that will send you mumbling and cursing to the dictionary to figure out what the author is saying. Find some books on subjects that will have you groping through the encyclopedia. Reading might as well be fun and fun might as well be learning. I believe books are man's greatest invention. If nothing else, they will give your TV set a rest.

Editor's Note:
Jim's love of literature has been a major influence in my life. I wrote about it in a post, "Marketing Books To Boys" at The Bookshop Blog.