One of My Happy Places Is in the Library Basement

It’s an oasis like no other.

Your happy place may be on the beach, hiking in the mountain or maybe at a sporting event. Mine is nowhere near any of those.

My happy place is in the basement of the Champaign Public Library.

Let Me Tell You a Story

I don’t even remember how or when I heard about the Friends Bookshop at the library. I know it was during my time as a student at the University of Illinois.

I walked a few blocks off campus one day and entered a whole new world. Literally.

I went down to the basement in an elevator like everyone does and was introduced to over 20,000 books, all for a few dollars or so.

I was amazed, stunned even. I couldn’t even tell you what I bought that day. Things like that I wish I remembered.

But I knew it wasn’t going to be my last time there.

I continued to return to the bookshop with a fellow bibliophile friend when the shop was open — during its weird hours of Wednesday, Friday and Saturday, 12–3 p.m.

The more I went, the more books I found. And the more I’ve fallen in love with the place.

I Feel Like I’ve Stolen from Them

No, I don’t steal, but it sure as heck feels like it.

Each book costs $1 or $2, sometimes even cheaper, but everything is less than $5. I guess it’s why I walk out of there each time with about a dozen books or so.

But they’re not just any books. I find books I have been looking for forever, and some that catch me by surprise.

But what’s great about it all is that I find books signed by the author. And not just any author either.

Some examples I have found include:

• Tony Robbins
• David Sedaris
• Just to name a few.

I’m not a fan of paying full price for books at Barnes and Noble, or even barely discounted at Walmart. I don’t believe many people are, especially in Champaign.

I see people like up to take the elevator downstairs each week. Maybe because it’s for the cheap books. Maybe it’s because they find what they’re looking for.

I like to think it’s someone else’s happy place too.

Closing Thoughts

Reading is an escape but getting lost in the shelves of knowledge is also an escape, at least it is for me.

I’ll continue to contribute to this book sale so long as it continues to stay open. And I don’t think it’s going anywhere anytime soon.

I don’t have to travel far for my escape from reality. I just have to travel a few blocks and down the elevator to the basement.

Noah Nelson is a graduate from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign with a bachelor’s degree in journalism with minors in political science and history. He served as a senior columnist for The Daily Illini, serves as a writer on Medium and the host of his blog called Nothing But Noah. His books “Life: A Collection of Short Stories” and “Dana and Me: A Memoir” are both available now on Amazon. Like what you read? You can write for Medium too!