"Libraries store the energy that fuels the imagination. They open up windows to the world and inspire us to explore and achieve, and contribute to improving our quality of life."
I am originally from Elba, Alabama and graduated from Elba High School in 1992. I attended ESJC and then Troy State University, where I graduated with a degree in Spanish and English Education. I taught Spanish for three years and then went to graduate school at the University of Alabama for a Master of Library and Information Studies. This is my 23rd year as the Library Media Specialist at New Brockton High School. I couldn't love another school more. I truly enjoy working with the faculty and students here, and am proud to call it, "my school". New Brockton High School has a lot to offer. It's a special place where everyone can feel at home, and all students have adults on whom they can depend. We love our Gamecock Kids!
I have a twenty year-old son, Clay, who graduated from NBHS in 2020, and an nine year old daughter, Josie, who is in the 4th grade at NBES. Both of my children make me smile every day of my life. We love football in our house, and live in a home divided! My husband Randy is from Houma, Louisiana, and the war cries heard in our home range from Geaux Tigers to the more exciting Roll Tide! In what little spare time I have I enjoy spending it with my family and friends, reading, swimming, and traveling.
I've been addicted to books ever since I was a child. Even before I could read, I loved being read to. In fact, one of the first things my grandmother remembers me saying was "Ead to me." Books brought me adventures with pirates, ghosts, genies in a bottle who granted wishes, and every other kind of excitement a child could want. The characters came to life and with them I conquered thousands of bad guys and faced unspeakable evils, all the while visiting magical, far-away kingdoms.
One of the main reasons I loved books and reading came from my many visits to the library. It was completely amazing to me that all those books were there on the shelves, just waiting for me to pick them up. To know that I could read whatever I wanted, whenever I wanted, completely free of charge was a powerful realization for me.
As an adult I still feel the same. There isn't even a single movie out there that could ever live up to a good book. Nothing can compare to the complete captivation a good book provides. Nothing allows your imagination the free reign that a book does. When you see a movie, everything has been decided for you. You know what everything looks and sounds like. There's no room for imagination. But when you read a book, all you have is a description. Everything else is up to you. You decide. Your imagination is everything.
Reading has been one of the most illuminating experiences in my life. My journey around the world contained in books is almost equal to all of the real experiences I've had in my life. The books I've read have shaped me, even changed me sometimes. Every time I read a good book I learn a little bit more about who I am and maybe what I'm here for. Books reach my senses and places in my being that my mind craves. There is simply nothing else like it. I also think that books have deepened the relationships with the people in my life I share them with. There is nothing like sharing a good book with a good friend.
I'm very lucky. I get to go to work every day and be surrounded by books. I get to peruse catalogs and decide which books to buy for our library. I get to open the boxes when they come in, hundreds of brand new books spilling out onto the counter. I only wish I had the time to read every single one of them right then and there. At work I have the opportunity to share books every day. That's my job. Reading and being read-to is one of the most precious things that ever happened to me, like the voices of the characters, comforting and warm, whispering in my ear, "This is what you were born to do."
We want to hear your story. Why do you love books, reading, and libraries? Email Mrs. Martin to send your story.
