I remember The Timmins Public Library as divided between two floors. The basement held the children's collection, but the top floor was the adult section. I started out as a child borrower with a library card that indicated such a status. One day, while still a kid, for some reason I can no longer remember, I was given adult borrowing privileges. It seemed that my avid reading habits advanced me prematurely into the top floor. A new world was open to me, one that beckoned to me every Saturday morning for years and years to come.

Of course, I did not immediately become an adult reader in the full sense. I still remember learning about Margaret Laurence's The Diviners, specifically the controversy about its handling of love and sex. Being the curious child that I was -- and perhaps bolder than I ever thought I would be -- I approached the reference librarian to ask about the book. I don't recall her exact words, but apparently, she found a gentle but effective way to ward off my request to get my hands on the book.