This Is a Library Book: Check Out the Places and People Sharing Knowledge and Building Communities

This love letter to libraries and librarians throughout history is a fascinating look at how these beloved institutions have long helped communities and why they are more essential than ever.

While most of us have been to a library, not everyone knows how important libraries have always been – or just how broad the definition of a library can be. This book explores these topics in lively prose, covering everything from the history of libraries and their functions to unusual libraries, such as secret or traveling libraries, and special libraries created for certain purposes or to serve specific communities. And what ties it all together is a simple but powerful message: everyone everywhere deserves access to information and stories – and to a library!

In this one-of-a-kind book, award-winning author Joyce Grant takes readers on a whirlwind tour of libraries and their long history as meeting spots for community members, places of refuge in times of conflict and change and safe spaces that protect both people and access to information. Also included are profiles of many real-life librarians who have found creative ways to meet the public’s needs. This timely book provides an engaging, accessible overview and contextualization of relevant issues such as equal access to information, freedom to read, censorship and inclusion – particularly significant today as libraries in North America face new challenges. Together with Chanelle Nibbelink’s fresh and quirky illustrations, the text invites readers to think about what libraries mean to them – and why that’s worth protecting. A “design your own library” prompt, author’s note, list of resources and a glossary are also included.

Joyce Grant is a freelance journalist and children's author. She created the popular website Teaching Kids News and has given hundreds of presentations at schools and libraries. She is the award-winning author of several books for children, including Can You Believe It?. Joyce lives with her family in Hamilton, Ontario.
Chanelle Nibbelink is a Canadian American illustrator who makes joyful, shape-filled pictures from her ever-changing studio --- sometimes a cozy desk, sometimes a camper van. She studied illustration at Sheridan College and loves art that celebrates curiosity, community and the outdoors. A digital nomad at heart, she's recently called North Carolina, New Zealand and Maui home. When she's not drawing, you can find her rock climbing, biking, cooking plant-based meals or catching up with friends after a day of exploring.