I Love Libraries -
I Love Libraries -

Women across the country share stories of how libraries impacted their lives.

As part of its ongoing partnership with the American Library Association (ALA) and its Campaign for America's Libraries, Woman's Day magazine regularly runs essay contests asking readers to send stories of how libraries impacted their lives. In 2007, for example, 2,000 readers shared heartfelt, funny, and touching stories on the topic “How the Library Changed My Life,” some of which were published in the March 6, 2007 issue. This winter, the topic was “The Library Helped Me Start My Business,” with winning essays published March 4, 2008, and in 2009, the magazine will publish essays on the topic “How the Library Improved My Health.”

I Love Libraries is proud to present some of the top contest entries from the past two years here. For more information, visit www.womansday.com. For more information on ALA's Campaign for America's Libraries, visit www.ala.org/@yourlibrary.

Below, you will find links to past stories featured in "Why People Love Libraries." Read these wonderful tributes to the power of libraries to touch people's lives.

2007 stories
"How the Library Changed My Life"

Patricia Bingham's story
Lynn Cavanagh's story
Meg Clayton's story
Stacey DeFelice's story
Beth Finke's story
Effie Gross' story
Janet Halpin's story
Pam Lawhorne's story
Theresa Macdonald's story
Casey Moeller's story
Nancy Raines' story
Alma Ramos-McDermott's story
Storm Reyes's story
Katherine Schneider's story
Carol Silva's story
Ann Slaughter's story
Ruth Spiro's story
Marjorie Taylor's story
Susan Torrico's story
Alicia Wierenga's story
Phyllis R.D. Zanes' story

2008 stories
"The Library Helped Me Start My Business"

Pamela Buttikofer's story
Donna Hrezo's story
Michelle Lewis's story
Denise Upah Mills's story
Helen Oram's story
Jennifer Pyne's story
Jessica Sequinot's story
Eliza Truitt's story