September is Library Card Sign-up Month. It’s a time when the American Library Association and libraries across the country remind parents that the most important school supply of all is your library - your library card. September was first so designated in 1988, as a continuation of a national campaign launched the previous year.

We have lived in our neighborhood for almost two years. Our public library is less than a mile from our home, across the street from Wal-Mart, directly beside my son’s summer camp facility. And – guilty confession – we didn’t have library cards until I realized September is Library Card Sign-up Month. Oops. As taxpaying citizens, we should certainly have participated in our pre-paid service before now. Don’t worry, we have what can only be described as gobs of books at our house. But, I can’t help but feel guilty that I – and I certainly know better – denied my kid the exposure to hundreds of diverse books for so long, not to mention the fun and freedom of picking his own books and videos. Then, there are the missed opportunities to teach him about responsibility by taking good care of the items we check out and returning them on time.

My mom took us (some 15+ miles away) to the county library all summer long when we were little. We didn’t know it was because it was the cheapest form of entertainment -- next to playing at the park. Instead, it was a real treat, an opportunity for adventures as yet unseen!

So, I’m adding this to the Mommy Fail Journal (and potentially the Therapy Journal) while actively doing better.

In the event that you have also denied yourself the luxury of books and videos with no rental fee, you can find your local library by typing your zip code into the search engine on the Georgia Library Service website.