I read a lot of books growing up — similar to most children, I suppose — pretty much any book I could get my hands on. The Boxcar Children, Encyclopedia Brown, anything. I had so many books I decided to start a library in my bedroom. I stacked the books neatly, created a library card and return slips with 3×5 index cards, and I invited my first customer into my room, my younger sister.

I am not sure which book she borrowed, but it was probably an Encyclopedia Brown, since following the thorough checkout process, she had returned to the library to borrow another book within an hour or two. (Encyclopedia Brown reads fast.)

I was caught off-guard and somewhat upset at the notion of a speedy return. I immediately established a new rule for a minimum borrowing time — that a book could not be returned within one day of checking it out — if only to validate the extensive effort of checkout. My sister thought that that idea was stupid, and that she wouldn’t borrow another book under such a rule.

The library folded later that day.

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