“To live a good life, we have to work together, treat people like people…and maybe read a book or two.”
These are the wise words spoken by one of the Library’s oldest customers, Miles Zeller, who celebrated his 100th birthday with staff at the Cliff View Branch on July 8. A regular at the Library since 2004, Miles credits the Library for keeping him learning and laughing throughout his entire life.
“I’ve been coming to libraries since I was 4 years old,” Miles said. “Firstly, I love the jolly people who run the library. And secondly, there are always things I can pick through. I end up taking something almost every time.”
Without a TV to distract him, Miles checks out an average of 40 books a month, with almost 4000 checkouts since the Library updated its catalog in 2019. Books are his favorite companions.
“I prefer something that will explain our life, although I do read just about everything,” Miles said. “In fact, I have recently discovered romance novels. Especially ones written by women. I found out that those old romance novels that I would pick up in the 30s and 40s were written by men, and I couldn’t stand them.”
Staff at the Cliff View Branch say Miles is a regular, coming in every week to find new materials, from nonfiction to psychology, and even cookbooks, which he reads to make dinner for his wife of 40 years. Before the Cliff View Branch opened in 2021, he frequented the Discover Express Branch, which closed in October 2020.
"Miles came to the library to learn and to read for enjoyment,” Theresa, Library Associate I at the Cliff View Branch said. “However, by listening to him, we not only learned about Miles but from Miles as well. His life stories are amazing!”
Before his time with the Library, Miles lived around the world, including California and Germany, serving as an explosives technician during WWII and later working as an engineer. Library books were always with him, especially as he turns 100 years old.
“Reading is about the only thing I can do,” Miles said, as he slowly ate a slice of cake cut by staff. “I get easily tired out. But I have lived what, to me, is an interesting life. Most of what I have learned in my 100 years of living, I learned from books.”
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