I attempted briefly to consecrate myself in the public library, believing every crack in my soul could be chinked with a book.

The speaker treats the public library as a kind of secular sanctuary—somewhere to “consecrate” the self through reading. The metaphor of a damaged soul with “cracks” suggests loneliness, grief, shame, or formative insecurity; books become the “chinking” that might seal those gaps, offering language, models of life, and a sense of belonging. The line also carries gentle self-irony: the attempt is “briefly,” implying that reading can be a powerful refuge but not a total cure. Overall, the quote captures a common Kingsolver theme: the salvational possibilities of stories and education, especially for those trying to remake themselves from difficult beginnings.