Libraries have always been a sanctuary for me. Here are 9 reasons I love them so much.

The library has been a sanctuary for me for many years, from the tiny, cozy one at my elementary school to the glass palace of a public library where I spent my post-college years hanging out. (Bonus points: It also had a cafe and a pizza restaurant.)

The first thing I did when I moved to a new city last year was get myself a library card. I read so many books that buying them all is not really feasible (although I still buy a lot of them). For the two to six weeks that I hold a library book in my hands, it’s mine. I like thinking about how many other people have held the same book in their hands. Sometimes I find physical evidence — a bookmark, or a scrap of paper left behind. Libraries and books and comics remind me that there are good things left in the world.