A friend asked the other day, why Brad and I had chosen the Collingswood Public Library for our marriage location. Why Collingswood, is itself a post worth writing, but today, I want to focus on why we selected a public library.

I’ll give you the whole backstory, but the short version is this: the public library is a foundational institution of freedom. Librarians have been on the front lines protecting privacy and the freedom of expression, assembly, and speech. Libraries serve as a space where many young guys and gals found books and images that helped them come to terms with their own blossoming sexual identity. But the books and sources of information seemed limitless. For many, the library has been a place of safety, escape from the real world, and an avenue to understand the big and amazing adventures the rest of our lives could be. W@hat more appropriate place could there ben than a library to commit our relationship?

The whole story is loner and contains more of an evolving path where everything ended up for the better.

Our intention all along was the merely get our license, wait the required time, and then be married by the Justice of the Peace or some other elected official. Once we were set on Collingswood (that story is coming), we began to research who could marry us. At the City Hall, they do weddings on Monday evenings only, and there was some other official who did marriages on Wednesday evenings, add then the person we are talking to, adds that for couples who need a different time, they send them over to the librarian. Wow, that sounded awesome to us. As it turned out, this librarian just happens to be the husband of a woman my partner Brad knows. So, it was like all the pieces coming together.

We did a Skype call with him, and we knew right away, that this was the perfect match for us.

As a little kid, the library was a special place for me. So was Church, but I have no interest in being married in a church! What better location than a public Library.