(photo credit: Janko Ferlic, unsplash.com)

Let's be real. Going to the library was my absolute favorite activity when I was a kid.

On any given day, I'd beg my mom to pull our dusty green SUV into the public library parking lot. Once inside, I'd peruse and create a tottering ~~and growing~~ pile of children's books to check out. I'd leave grinning ear to ear, dragging a stuffed bag full of a dozen books behind me.

So what's the magic behind libraries? Is it the rows upon rows of book spines? The sour looks from the ticked off librarian? The oddly freezing temperatures universal to every public library?

Here are 5 reasons why I love libraries:

1. Atmosphere

There's something oddly mesmerizing and intoxicating about libraries. Something about the weight of decades-long work, and the feeling of searching out what sits on a shelf somewhere, waiting to be found. If you look around any library, you'll see people hunched over a book, sometimes with stacks beside them. To be in a place where others want to drink in the wonder of reading books is quite special.

And that leads me to...

2. People

Libraries are part of that strange breed of places that draws all sorts. You have everyone from the high-achieving intellectual to the bored homeless man to the wifi-starved kid who just wants to play Pokemon Go.

Regardless, it's an ideal place to people-watch. Not only are you exploring characters in the books you read there, but you can see inspiration for those characters everywhere you turn.

3. Knowledge

775 million books inhabit the US public library system, according to the NCES. The immensity of knowledge that libraries contain is nearly unfathomable. Imagine how much information is waiting to be learned! Next time you wonder about that strange and obscure topic, check your local library. It may have just the resources you need to learn the most about that subject.

4. Adventure

In a library, the possibilities are endless. If you crack open a children's or young adult novel, adventure is there, waiting to be experienced in your imagination. Simply going to an older or larger library can be an adventure in and of itself. Go just to explore every nook and cranny. Take in the architecture, the aura, and the other adventurers, who are there for various reasons.

Speaking of various reasons...

5. Variety

Libraries hold something for everyone. Are you an avid tractor aficionado? I can promise you that there is probably a book here for you. Or do you enjoy studying the wonder and complexity of Amazon rain forests? There may just be an interesting tome here for you. Regardless of your background and your interests, libraries have a wealth of information available for you! Go check out your local treasure trove of knowledge ~~and tractor manuals~~.

I promise, you won't regret it.

(gif source: http://bit.ly/2uoipew)

// Do you have any fond memories with libraries? What do you love about them?