@NickEast_IndieWriter @reading @bookstodon @books @humor@fedigroups.social @humor@lemmy.world @aiop In elementary school, there was a librarian's assistant who gatekept stringently based on your age's expected reading level. I (and others) eventually learned to check out books when the assistant was off duty and the librarian herself was at the desk. She was always happy to talk a bit about what you were reading and suggest books, often well beyond our "age level". Mrs. Finkbeiner, the kids of Carpenter School owe you a lot.