Libraries are special places — shelves lined floor to ceiling with the knowledge, thoughts and musings of authors spanning centuries. Step through the doors, grab a book and within your mind’s eye you can travel to any era and any place, whether imagined or real. We asked Coronadans to share their thoughts on what’s to love about libraries.
“Ever since I was little, my mother took us to the library once a week before we went to visit my grandmother, who lived right next door to it. It was the highlight of our week. The library is simply a temple of treasures. You can travel anywhere within its walls.” ~ Ellenjoy Weber, librarian and head of youth services at Coronado Public Library
“Growing up, to get my father’s attention you had to knock a book out of his hand. He and my mother got us started on every book collection. We grew up in Arizona and, like any good ‘Zonie’ we came here every summer. I always say that my dad gave us books, the beach and this enchanted island, so I started this Little Free Library as a tribute to my dad. It’s been embraced so beautifully by the community. I don’t even really have to stock it. People are always leaving great reads and picking up a good book to take home or read on the sand. You can usually find the New York Times here on Sundays. And I often see young kids get a book, put their phones away and go down to the beach to read. That is such a score.” ~ Cara Ryan Irigoyan, who maintains the Little Free Library on Ocean Boulevard at the entrance to North Beach
“My favorite things about the library are playing with the puppets in the puppet theater, and when my dad and I pick out books together and read them in the reading tent.” ~ Nicholas Hahn, age 4
“One of the most rewarding aspects of working at a library is helping someone find something that motivates them to read for the rest of their life. There’s a young adult novel called The Lightning Thief (the first of a series by Rick Riordan) that is one of my favorites to give out to a pre-teen or teen who’s never heard of it because I just know they’ll come back raving about it and ask for more. When a child is not yet an avid reader, this book always gets them going. Helping a young person find a book or genre they like and seeing that passion for reading take flight is the most fun part of the job!”
~ Jacqueline Luna, teen librarian at Coronado Public Library
“The Coronado Library is the hub of the city — so being here I get to talk to so many people who come and go, from ages zero to 100! I hear all the best stories from the many kids who flock here after school since it’s such a youth-oriented library. Between my open-air cart, year-round tourists and Coronado’s beautiful weather, I feel like I’m on a permanent vacation. Plus what heightens the senses better for an afternoon studying or getting lost in a book than a good cup of organic coffee!”
~ Alex Malo, owner of Amalo Brew at the entrance to the Coronado Public Library
“My mom took me to the library every week throughout every childhood summer and made an avid reader out of me. Last February I started a public evening book club at the Bonita Library called Rush Hour Book Club, and it has certainly enriched my life. I’m reading different types of books and have intelligent people with whom to engage in lively discussion. Last month, we read a book by Louise Mathews called Jail House Cuisine. Mathews was director of food services for the county detention system and wrote the book about her experience, including many of the prisoners’ favorite recipes. Because our group was reading it, she came to one of our meetings, brought two cakes, and took us on a video tour of the county’s food production center. It was such a well-rounded way to enjoy a book! In honor of Veteran’s Day, we’re reading Ashley’s War by Gayle Lemmon, which is about a secret program piloted by the Army in 2010 to insert women alongside special operations soldiers battling in Afghanistan. ~ Jamie Gold, founder of the Rush Hour Book Club
“I’ve been all over the world and seen many countries. I must say, for a city of this size, Coronado’s library is quite amazing. It’s so organized and well-managed, and such a beautiful space. It’s pretty astounding.” ~ Doug Crane
“I’ve volunteered at the Second Hand Prose bookstore since it opened about 10 years ago. I’m not a Kindle person — I love the feel and smell of books, so it’s so nice to be surrounded by them in here. All kinds of wonderful books get donated in beautiful condition — so many are almost brand new. The store’s proceeds benefit Friends of the Library, which directly supports our Coronado library!” ~ Loey Crane
“When I was a young child, there wasn’t a whole lot to do in Coronado. But if we complained about being bored, my mother would find work for us to do, so we never complained and we found ways to keep busy. My best friend, Cindy, and I had so much fun riding our bikes to the library. At the time, the children’s section was where the old senior center was, and they always had such special things planned. There were games, puzzles, story time — they even gave us little rewards for reading — we just had the best time there. I went on to become a first grade teacher at Christ Church Day School for 23 years, where I’d take my students to the library every other week hoping it would imbue in them the same love for reading it did for me as a child. ~ Martha Protzman, reading teacher at Silver Strand Elementary School
