Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...

Hello again! Well, I hope you all had a nice Christmas and a happy new year. I know that we all wish for better times ahead. 2021 is behind us and we turn now to the coming year at the library. With a new year come new things.

One new thing that I want to share with you is a word that I just learned. The word is ‘lesesucht’. It means ‘an addiction to reading’. And no, I can’t pronounce it. And yes, it is a real thing. The origins of the word can be traced back to 18th century Germany. You can research it if you want. I’m not going down that rabbit hole today.

What I do want to say today is that I think I have it! I think I might be addicted to reading. Addicted to books. At last count, my Kindle library contains in excess of 800 books. The multiple shelves in my home probably hold several hundred more. I have lesesucht. I’m willing to bet that many of you suffer from lesesucht, too.

I happen to know the perfect hangout for someone like us. It is the Lunenburg County Public Library System. Between our two branches, one in Victoria and one in Kenbridge, we house over 50,000 volumes. We have books for all ages and all interests. There are enough books to keep a person reading for a very long time.

Maybe you have a favorite author or a favorite genre. Maybe you prefer fiction. Maybe you like nonfiction. Do you like large print? We have it. Audio books? We have those, too. Maybe, like me, there are times when you just can’t figure out what you want to read next. The library can help. Our staff can be very helpful in your search for the book that is just right for you. Or you could pick up one of our Reading Challenge calendars. Or you could leisurely browse the stacks for hidden treasures. They are all here waiting for you. The best part is that you can read them for free. Just get yourself a library card and enjoy.

J.B. Crenshaw is the library director for Lunenburg County Public Library System. He can be reached at jbcrenshaw.lcpls@gmail. com