I have ALWAYS loved reading. According to my mom, my first word was "books." I apparently loved being read to by anyone who would take the time when I was too young to read. She has also told me that she thinks I learned to read quickly just in case someone wouldn't be around to read to me. 

Because of this, I naturally loved libraries as a kid. To me, there is nothing more satisfying than walking into a place – be it a library, a bookstore, or my maternal grandmother's living room (she was reader, too)- and seeing shelf after shelf of books.  I, of course, like to see them in the neat rows of multi-colored spines, each one waiting to give me a new piece of advice or life adventure. 

But- I also don't mind seeing them in messy piles, waiting to be sorted and placed back on the shelf or in someone's bag to go home with them. 

I even like the SMELL of a library. It is always a curious mix of furniture polish, aging paper, and dust that just SCREAMS library. I love it. 

So – when I say that I understand Ben and Mike's love for and obsession with Derry Library – I mean I COMPLETELY understand. 

Because of that, I thought I should write about a library and give that section of life its own space.

But – which one? 

Do I pick my local one here in Georgetown, KY? Do I pick the cute little library from my hometown in West Virginia? Do I pick a different one? All of them?!

While I pondered those questions, I found myself wondering what it must have been like for Mike Hanlon to serve as the head librarian in the kind of mid-sized "honky tonk town" Mike himself once called Derry. 

As I thought more about it, another layer occurred to me: Mike was also an African American man holding a leadership position in a profession and a time period where that was still relatively uncommon.

Back in the 1980s, only about 5% of librarians were African American (according to Census records), and very few were HEAD librarians. Most often, African Americans were appointed to head librarian only in historical black colleges and universities (HBCUs). 

There were select exceptions to that, of course! But – those were exceptions. Not the rule. 

Thinking about all of this, though – the answer came to me!

The Western Library – right here in Kentucky. Louisville, KY. 

Now called Louisville Free Public Library, Western Branch – it was once known as the Western Colored Branch, which was later changed to the Western Library. 

It was the nation's first free public library for African Americans, and for many years, it was operated exclusively by an all-Black staff. It was actually the first free public library to have an all-Black staff. 

To say this was a hard-fought battle would be an understatement.

In the early 1900s, Louisville city leaders were advocating for a free public library system overall. Up until that point in the city's history, libraries were private collections that you had to pay for OR parts of colleges only open to students, staff, and alumni. 

As luck would have it, Andrew Carnegie – famous industrialist, billionaire, and philanthropist – was leading the charge nationwide to get free books into the hands of the masses. He reportedly felt like literacy was important. In that – we totally agree!

Reading - in a way - is freedom. 

Around that time, he planned to pledge money to build 2500 libraries nationwide – some of which were built in Louisville. 

Here's the thing, though.

Louisville was heavily segregated at that time. Keep in mind – this is the height of Jim Crow.

And when Louisville leadership was advocating for free public libraries, they were advocating for libraries for White people. 

This was especially concerning because at that time, only about 6.2% of White citizens in Louisville were illiterate in 1900, while approximately 44.5% of Black citizens were illiterate. This shows that there was a real need for free public access to literacy in the African American community. 

Heroes come in many forms, though. In this case, the hero came in the form of a local (influential) African American educator and civil rights activist named Albert E. Meyzeek. 

He fought hard for the local African American students and citizens to have access to a free public library. He and some of his supporters/ colleagues pointed out that Black taxpayers were paying for a system they couldn't even use. 

Andrew Carnegie heard about this advocacy and pledged money for a library that could only be used for a library for African Americans. From a modern perspective, the idea of a separate library can feel uncomfortable. However, within the realities of Jim Crow Louisville, Carnegie's condition ensured that African American residents would receive library access rather than be excluded entirely. 

As such, the idea of the Western Library was born in 1905. The Carnegie-funded building for it was not completed until 1908, but the funding for the library space started in 1905. The city paid rent on three rooms that housed the books for those three years. 

Reverend Thomas Fountain Blue was appointed the head librarian of the Western Library from the beginning, starting in 1905. He would later (in 1914) lead the charge to create a second library for African Americans in Louisville, known at the time as the Eastern Colored Branch. This name was also later changed to – you guessed it – the Eastern Library. Interestingly, this branch was also funded by Andrew Carnegie. 

Reverend Blue didn't just stop at developing and managing these libraries, though. 

He also created an elaborate apprentice training program for Black librarians. 

You see, he was passionate not only about helping his local community. He felt that it was equally important to educate African Americans in the science of librarianship. His apprentice program lasted into the 1930s and attracted students from across the south.

Another one of Blue’s primary initiatives was to increase literacy rates amongst African American youth and expand the pool of young Black readers. He recruited the help of another Western branch supervisor, Rachel Harris. Together, they organized a Children’s Department that hosted reading clubs, storytime, debate, and other entertaining events for Louisville’s African American children. In addition, a local African American poet and educator, Joseph Cotter, sponsored a children’s storytelling contest every year. The winners could receive cash awards and statewide and national recognition. This was known as The Cotter Cup.

Today, the Western Library is still standing – and thriving. The legacy of the Children's Department is still very much apparent. The Cotter Cup is still in place today. The day I went, they also had multiple activities for children planned that day. 

Preschool Storytime at 10am. Teen Crafting Club at 3:30pm. Teen Manga and Anime Club at 5pm. 

A review of their social media pages also shows that they have multiple planned street events that cater to children and look so fun! 

There is also a collection of historical documents and resources focusing on African American experiences housed in the Western Library – in the African-American Archives Reading Room. The room also happens to house the works of that poet I mentioned - Joseph Cotter – the one who is responsible for the children's storytelling contest. 

Overall, the Western Library is a lovely piece of history that everyone should know about – and visit! I highly enjoyed learning about it – and all of the people who fought to make it happen. I hope this has sparked your curiosity and inspired you to take a trip of your own. 

As always – stay curious!

I'm plugging along in my reading of It by Stephen King. I've made it to page 686, which means I have only 466 pages left to go. In most books, that would be an entire novel. In It, it feels like I'm finally approaching the home stretch.

At times, I admit I've struggled with just how many side roads King takes along the way. Derry is a town full of stories, and he seems determined to tell every single one of them. Yet despite those detours, I'm completely immersed in this dark, fascinating world. Derry feels less like a setting and more like a living thing: a small town with a long memory and a terrible secret lurking beneath the surface.

As I get closer to the end, I find myself eager to see how all of these storylines, memories, and nightmares finally come together.

But reading the novel wasn't enough.

Like any curious traveler, I decided to venture even deeper into Derry by revisiting the film adaptations and starting the new Welcome to Derry series. I've enjoyed this little side journey so much that I thought I'd share a guide for anyone else who might be considering a trip to one of Stephen King's most infamous destinations.

What are the movies?

1. “It” - 1990 – This almost 3-hour movie is a bit of a classic. Tim Curry plays Pennywise the Dancing Clown, and he is creeeeppyyyy. He really only had about 20 minutes of screentime throughout the movie, but supposedly, his performance scared the cast so much that everyone avoided him on set. I know he scared me as a child, and clowns and I have not been friends since!
2. “It”/”It: Chapter Two” - 2017 and 2019 – This two-part movie set took the storyline to the next level with Bill Skarsgard’s Pennywise performance. Yikes! He is even creepier, if such a thing is possible. Apparently, he spent three hours a day in the makeup chair for the role. He was also reportedly kept away from the child actors at first, until their first scene together. So, their fear reactions were more genuine than you might think. The timeline is a bit different in this one as well. The characters are children in the 1980s and adults in the 2010s – rather than the 1950s and 1980s.  
3. “It: Welcome to Derry” - 2025 – This is a series that is essentially a prequel to the 2017/2019 movies and features some of the main character’s parents (as children) as core characters.

Are they worth watching?

Yes – especially if you like the book. Obviously, film adaptations are always slightly different from books, and these are no exceptions. Some things, especially the more controversial parts, are left out. Some storylines are altered with some serious poetic licenses. But the core of the movies/show is in line with the book, making them worth watching.

How can they be watched?

You can use the link below to buy them (and related merchandise and other fun It-themed goodies) or you can watch them all on HBO Max (as of October 2026 anyway).

How should they be watched?

That depends on you! If you would prefer a more “chronological” order, I would say:

1. It – 1990 (since it was made first and is a standalone)
2. Welcome to Derry series – It takes place in the 1960s and is the prequel to the other two movies.
3. It – 2017
4. It: Chapter Two – 2019

If you prefer to watch them according to how much I liked them:

1. It – 1990
2. It – 2017
3. It: Chapter Two – 2019
4. It: Welcome to Derry

If you're enjoying the book, I absolutely recommend taking a side trip into Derry's on-screen adaptations. No version is a perfect recreation of King's novel, but each captures something essential about the story, its characters, and the unsettling atmosphere that makes Derry such a memorable place.

Whether you choose Tim Curry's unforgettable Pennywise, Bill Skarsgård's nightmare-inducing interpretation, or the newer stories explored in Welcome to Derry, there's plenty to discover beyond the pages.

So if you decide to visit Derry for yourself, I wish you a safe journey.

Just don't follow any paper boats into the storm drain.

And as always, travel with a curious mind. 🎈

Click the link below to buy It films and It-themed goodies.

(paid link)