My love for reading started early, long before I understood how deeply books could shape a person. I can still picture myself as a child, standing in front of my local library’s catalog computer, typing in “magic tricks.” To my astonishment, the results revealed an entire section devoted to magic. That discovery felt like unlocking a secret world, and it was the moment I fell in love with reading. Every book since then has left its mark on me, adding small but meaningful layers to who I am today. Now, as an adult, I find myself wanting to share that same wonder with others and to help them see how stories can transform, heal, and connect us.

This week’s readings reignited that early sense of awe and reminded me that libraries are more than buildings filled with books; they are living spaces filled with people, each carrying their own untold story. As Dr. Rudine Sims Bishop (1990) famously said, literature serves as both mirrors and windows, with mirrors that reflect our own lives, and windows that reveal experiences beyond our own.

When I was young, Junie B. Jones and Ramona Quimby taught me to be bold, outspoken, and unapologetically myself. Later, through the emotional landscapes of Kristin Hannah’s novels, I began to grasp the human cost of war and the resilience born from pain. Her stories were not just entertainment, but they were lessons in empathy and identity, quietly shaping how I saw myself and others.

Libraries have always been guardians of stories, but their role continues to evolve. We are no longer merely stewards of information; instead, we are facilitators of storytelling. Modern libraries empower people to find their voices, to connect through shared narratives, and to recognize themselves as part of a broader human story. The motto of the DOK Library, “Keep stories, make stories, share stories”, (Boekesteijn, n.d.) captures this spirit perfectly. Libraries today are vibrant, participatory spaces where stories come alive through conversation, technology, and creativity. From Human Library events to podcast studios and community archives, libraries are redefining what it means to tell and preserve stories in the digital age.

The Human Library model, as Wentz (2013) describes, is a powerful example of this evolution. Sitting face-to-face with another person and listening openly to their lived experience transforms storytelling into a bridge of empathy. In those moments, the library ceases to be a quiet repository and becomes a living sanctuary for understanding and a place where every story, no matter how ordinary or extraordinary, holds value.

Looking back on my own journey, from the child captivated by a shelf of magic books to the adult who now finds magic in human connection, I see that libraries have always been about transformation, and they give us access to one another. Every shared story has the power to shift how we see ourselves and the world around us.

As library professionals and advocates, it is our responsibility (and privilege) to nurture that magic. Let us continue to build spaces where people feel seen, heard, and valued. When we honor every kind of story, we do more than preserve knowledge, because we strengthen the bonds of community and remind one another of our shared humanity. So, what is your story? What moment, book, or experience shaped who you are today? Leave a comment down below!

References:

Bishop, R. S. (1990). Mirrors, windows, and sliding glass doors. Perspectives: Choosing and Using Books for the Classroom, 6(3). https://readteachwrite.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/mirrors-windows-and-sliding-glass-doors.pdf 

Boekesteijn, E. (n.d.). A culture of innovation at DOK and Doklab. https://www.culturehive.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/A-culture-of-innovation-at-DOK-and-Doklab-final-2.pdf 

Wentz, E. (2013, April 26). The human library: Sharing the community with itself. Public Libraries Online. https://publiclibrariesonline.org/2013/04/human_librar/