Saturday Spotlight: Guest Post: Libraries Open up the World by Savita Kalhan

It is my great pleasure to welcome Savita Kalhan to Book Angel Booktopia today to talk about the role libraries have played in her own life. Thank you so much for this guest post Savita.

Why Libraries are so Important to Me...

When I was a child the most important place in my life was the town library. The children’s library was housed in a separate structure to the main library, which was a grand old building. The kid’s library was basically a very large terrapin hut. But that didn’t matter. All that mattered was that it was big and it was full of books, and they were free to borrow!

I come from a very traditional Hindu background and my parents were extremely strict. Basically we weren’t allowed to go out anywhere. Luckily I had lots of siblings, I’m the eldest of seven, so there was never much time to get bored. But we did get cabin fever!

The only place we were allowed to go to was the library. We were taken there every Saturday morning and got to stay for as long as we wanted. I ended up reading almost every single book in the library by the time I was 12, and asked the Head Librarian of the adult library if I could join, even though you had to be 14. She let me – as long as she checked the books I was intending to borrow first.

So from a very young age, libraries and librarians have been my friends. I honestly don’t know what I would have done without them, and I doubt very much I would be a writer today if it wasn’t for my them.

Books opened up the world for me. It’s as simple as that. They’re still opening up the world. The ongoing threatened library closures make me sad and angry – how can you deny such pleasure, enjoyment, knowledge, to the children and people who rely on the free and easy access to books that the library provides?

Title: The Long Weekend
Author: Savita Kalhan
Publisher: Andersen
Publication Date: 2 Oct 2008 

Synopsis from Goodreads 

Sam knows that he and his friend Lloyd made a colossal mistake when they accepted the ride home. They have ended up in a dark mansion in the middle of nowhere with man who means to harm them. But Sam doesn't know how to get them out. They were trapped, then separated. Now they are alone. Will either of them get out alive? This gripping and hypnotic thriller will have you reading late into the night.