The Library!
When I was a child and lived in Buffalo, New York, I discovered a treasure - the public library. For a child who learned to read at about age 4 - thanks to a patient older sister and parents who read a bedtime story every single night - it was akin to finding a toy store or candy shop that gave away its merchandise. The particular library was on Amherst Street, and had been designed by local architect William Sydney Wicks as the Parkside Unitarian Church, dedicated in 1897. It was made into the Fairfield branch of the public library in 1924, and remained one until 2005. It was on the walk home from St. Mark's School, and with some care, about 4 or 5 books could be added to the basket of a bike, or tucked under an arm - or read on the way home, as long as you stayed on the sidewalk. I was surprised to learn that not every library had a choir loft, soaring ceilings, a wing devoted to kids' books, and a whole section devoted to sci-fi, which soon became a favorite genre. Recently
