I have loved libraries since I was young. I enjoy browsing the aisles, picking up books that look interesting. It’s an unhurried space, where it is ok to relax and take your time. A library is one of the few places where one can follow a topic, get sidetracked along the way, and discover more than what was expected. (You can have a fruitful detour, if you will.) While most modern libraries are relatively pedestrian, they can also be beautiful. Some large cities have libraries housed in elaborate older buildings with lovely designs.
I visited our local library recently, and things haven’t changed much. They still use the Dewey decimal system, and they still don’t have any of the books I’m looking for on the shelves. (That was a cheap shot. I’m often looking for obscure titles.) There are still a bunch of homeless people sleeping in chairs, and I still manage to find a seat near someone who snores loudly.
There is one change that I noticed— there is a lot more media available to borrow than I remembered. The library I visited had CDs, audiobooks, vinyl records, videodiscs, passwords for streaming sites, a service for e-books, magazines, photographs, maps, paintings, movies, video games for four different devices, board games, jigsaw puzzles, comic books, graphic novels, and, of course, books.
It is also a community center of sorts. Groups can reserve meeting rooms, and gatherings are held to discuss new books or watch a children’s film.
I think what I like most about libraries is that they are based on the idea of sharing. It is borrowing a cup of sugar from your neighbor on a grand scale. I remember reading about a community that created a tool lending library, so everyone could use a power washer or a chain saw without having to buy one. I wonder whether there are other ways that we could improve all the lives around us by sharing more — as they say in church — time, talent, and treasure.
This is a very different outlook from the one I see all around me right now, where people seem to be focused on looking out for number one, even at the expense of everyone else. Maybe supporting our libraries can change that.
