Ex Libris

Ex Libris

My dad was a lover of books. I remember he had shelves and shelves of books in his den; especially the twenty-nine volume Encyclopedia Britannica with brown covers and gold lettering. I was told the answer to any question could be found there. Dad had books on the Civil War and World Wars and a row of medical books most of which I had no interest in except the ones on human anatomy. That’s where I learned about the birds and the bees.

Inside the cover of dad’s books was a pasted paper bookplate that reminded the reader whose book it was: Ex Libris Robert D Semsch M.D. Back in the day, people of learning always made sure their books were branded. I wish I had one of those books with his name on the inside cover.

Times have changed. I rarely read from a physical book. In this digital age, I read everything online. I read the daily paper on the same device I get emails, text messages, do banking and pay bills. There is no place to attach a personal  label.

As a gift to myself from the recent stimulus check I purchased a Kindle Oasis. It’s the newest and nicest e-reader on the market. This is my fourth Kindle. Although I enjoy holding a real book, the convenience and the ease of a Kindle is well worth the cost. At last count I have accumulated over five hundred books on a device that holds over three thousand.

It was my grandmother who encouraged me to read. Although she never finished grade school herself, she instinctively knew that reading was a crucial ingredient in learning life. I am in debt the her and my father who instilled in me the hunger for a good book and the discipline to read it cover to cover.

I am going to emboss my fake leather Kindle cover with  “Ex Libris Daniel R. Semsch, ESQ”.