The library of my childhood vs. the library of today

One of my earliest childhood memories is my weekly trip to the library with my mother. I remember her tirelessly reading Mother Goose rhymes, fairytales and oddly, books from a Little Golden Books series, one of which was titled We Help Mommy. For some reason, I couldn’t get enough of the stories about that helpful brother and sister who did all sorts of household chores, something my mother never expected me to do. (Their round, pleasant, very similar faces appealed to me.) At the library itself, I only recall physical resources: books, magazines, encyclopedias, maps, newspapers and of course, the card catalogue. The library did not host children’s reading hours like those to which I took my own children. It was sometime in the mid to late 60’s when a bookmobile made its way into the Glenwood Houses, where I lived in Canarsie, Brooklyn. Along with nearly every child in the neighborhood, I anxiously awaited the weekly visit of the beloved blue and white “Library on Wheels.”* There we found the literature that would introduce us to new places, different eras and a broader understanding of the world. In my teenage years, I sometimes traveled to the New York Public Library. How I loved sitting on the steps of that grand, imposing building with a recently-acquired book in hand. There also was no better place to do research, and my mother often packed me a lunch so I could spend the day. It was at the New York Public Library where I first used microfiche, about the only source of information I accessed other than the physical resources I mentioned earlier…which brings me to the library resources available today.
The changes that have taken place between the library of my childhood and the library of today are mind-boggling and are all due to the advent of the computer. I do not even need to step out of the house to access much of what is available in the NOBLE library. Books can be browsed, reserved, renewed, or downloaded; newspapers, magazines, encyclopedias and journals can be accessed; one can learn everything from speaking a foreign language to repairing a car (both of which I would find challenging). The library itself is no longer a place where complete silence is expected; there are programs, events, and activities for children and adults and designated areas where people with laptops can get free wireless connections. Walking around, one sees CD’s, DVD’s, and electronic books to download. Long gone are the days of card catalogues. Computers have transformed our libraries forever.

*Barbara, I was curious to see if I was accurately remembering the name of the bookmobile, and I stumbled upon this image. I nearly “dropped my teeth” as my husband often says. This is the bookmobile in the housing development of my youth.
This scene was made into a postcard. I have to try to get it!

SUMMARY Blue and white "Library on Wheels" bookmobile, with children holding books spilling out of doors; mothers and children watching from bench in foreground; large apartment buildings (Glenwood Houses in Canarsie) in background. Caption from copy 2: "Brooklyn Public Library: Twin bookmobiles, serving areas not reached by library buildings, pave the way for permanent structures. Scene at Glenwood Houses." NOTE Title supplied by cataloger. LOCAL NOTE Copy 2.
SUBJECT Brooklyn Public Library. Public libraries -- New York (State) -- New York. Bookmobiles -- New York (State) -- New York. Brooklyn (New York, N.Y.) Canarsie (New York, N.Y.)


Where is my bookmobile? I lost it in the translation somewhere!