The Day I Got My First Library Card

It was around mid of 2005 when I first started visiting our town library. I used to go there with a friend who was one class senior to me. After school, we often stopped by the library before going home. The place had a quiet charm—wooden tables, old bookshelves, and that special smell of books that even now feels like peace.


At that time, I didn’t have a library card. I only went there to read books inside. My friend had his card, and I watched how he borrowed books to take home. It looked like a kind of freedom—to choose a book, sign it in the register, and walk away with it. I thought, maybe one day I would have my own card too.

Then in 2006, when I was in class six, I finally decided to ask. One afternoon, I gathered a little courage and went to the librarian. Everyone called him “Library Sir or Nabi da” He was strict in looks but kind in heart. I asked softly, “Sir, can I also get a card?”

He looked up from his register and smiled a little. “Of course,” he said. “But you have to apply first. Where do you live?” Then he explained the process—apply to the librarian for a new membership and pay the annual fee. I still remember it was about six rupees for one year. It sounded like a big thing to me at that age.

The next day, I came with an application and the small amount of money carefully kept inside a paper envelope. When Library Sir took my application, stamped it, and gave me the card, I felt like I had earned something very important. I got the children membership card of my library. It was a small piece of paper with my name, but to me, it felt like a key—to the world of stories and knowledge.

From that day, I started visiting the library regularly, at least four days a week. I used to complete one book in a day or two days, sometimes even faster if it was a story I loved. I remember sitting near the window, turning the pages quietly while the afternoon light fell on the table. The sound of turning pages and the smell of old paper became part of my days.

Slowly, I got attached to books. They became my silent friends—always waiting, never complaining, always ready to tell me something new. I read storybooks, magazines, and sometimes even old newspapers specially sports section. Every book I read made me a little more curious about the world.

Years passed, and life changed, but my connection with the library never ended. And now, after all these years, it feels almost magical that my duty is among those same books. Once came here as a small boy asking for a library card, and now I act as the librarian.

Whenever I hold a new membership card or see a student come to borrow their first book, I quietly smile. Because I know how it feels—the excitement, the curiosity, and the simple happiness of holding a card that opens a world of words.

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