SHHH! Genius at Work
Many evenings when I am waiting for my son to finish his soccer practice, I end up at the library. It is a low-cost way to while away an hour. If I step foot into a store, I am guaranteed to spend money. Coming to the library helps me avoid that temptation.
One thing is for sure. Libraries ain't what they used to be.
My #2 brother often walked downtown to the library in the city where we lived. Sometimes he invited me on the trip. It took a long time to walk there (he strode, and I hip-hopped/walked to try and keep up) - I think it was an hour...or maybe it was just a very long twenty-five minutes. Every time I arrived at that building, I was awestruck. It was such an imposing place to a little girl. The building was tall. The stairs leading up to the entrance were many. And once we actually entered the building, there were certain unsaid rules as to what was appropriate and what was not, which added to the formidable feeling of actually being in the library. There were a ton of books on every subject imaginable. At least two floors of them. In order to access them you had to know all about the Dewey Decimal system. People didn't talk. They whispered. The noise level was limited to people taking out an occasional book from the shelves, and perusing the pages to see if that was the one (or one of the ones) with which they would load their arms, and the scritch-scratching of people writing assignments. No one would think of calling out across the rows of books to a friend. If there was a question to be asked,you went quietly to the reference librarian, who would load you up with a whack of books, which couldn't actually be taken out. Any information you got from them had to be hand-copied and the publication date had to be written down - with the sincere hope there was no mistaking any of the numbers, in case a vigilant teacher checked out your work to see if you had written down the correct information.
I don't remember any sort of computers at the library. I think that only happened once I entered college. By that time, the computers were housed in a separate room off the library.
Fast-forward to my weekly visits to this local library. On any given night, the number of people who are in the aisles perusing book titles is minimal. By far, the greatest number of people are at computers. Very few are writing a thesis. Most are on Facebook, chatting simultaneously with fifteen of their closest friends. Some are checking emails. Others are fielding calls from their friends and relatives on their cell phones. { Which are not put on 'silent', to be answered discreetly; rather left at level 7, so everyone knows when the cell phone is ringing)
Others talk so loud, you are forced to eavesdrop on the conversation about when they will be home, who said what to whom, and who is in the picture they uploaded ten seconds ago.
Not only is the noise level different, the materials for check out contrast greatly to the ones 'back in the day'. There are shelves and shelves of videos available to check out; there are CD's - with music and books on CD, and instructional CDs, -to enjoy. It's a wonder that anyone is able to make any money from writing books at all.
I try not to stare. But I do admit, I occasionally help the librarians out by putting my finger to my mouth to remind people not to disturbothers(me)in their pursuits of higher learning. Just ten minutes ago. I moved to a different computer because some young thing was simultaneously getting text messages (which were heralded by a cheery "bing-bong"), and downloading material (with a different sound) on her own computer, which she had plugged into the library source. All with nary a thought as to how this extra noise might break the concentration of one like myself who is trying to put her (very important) thoughts down in hard copy.
No, libraries are not what they used to be. Still, it is nice to know that I can take advantage of the taxes I pay, to enjoy using the library for an hour. My hour is now up. Time to go and pick up my son.
One thing is for sure. Libraries ain't what they used to be.
My #2 brother often walked downtown to the library in the city where we lived. Sometimes he invited me on the trip. It took a long time to walk there (he strode, and I hip-hopped/walked to try and keep up) - I think it was an hour...or maybe it was just a very long twenty-five minutes. Every time I arrived at that building, I was awestruck. It was such an imposing place to a little girl. The building was tall. The stairs leading up to the entrance were many. And once we actually entered the building, there were certain unsaid rules as to what was appropriate and what was not, which added to the formidable feeling of actually being in the library. There were a ton of books on every subject imaginable. At least two floors of them. In order to access them you had to know all about the Dewey Decimal system. People didn't talk. They whispered. The noise level was limited to people taking out an occasional book from the shelves, and perusing the pages to see if that was the one (or one of the ones) with which they would load their arms, and the scritch-scratching of people writing assignments. No one would think of calling out across the rows of books to a friend. If there was a question to be asked,you went quietly to the reference librarian, who would load you up with a whack of books, which couldn't actually be taken out. Any information you got from them had to be hand-copied and the publication date had to be written down - with the sincere hope there was no mistaking any of the numbers, in case a vigilant teacher checked out your work to see if you had written down the correct information.
I don't remember any sort of computers at the library. I think that only happened once I entered college. By that time, the computers were housed in a separate room off the library.
Fast-forward to my weekly visits to this local library. On any given night, the number of people who are in the aisles perusing book titles is minimal. By far, the greatest number of people are at computers. Very few are writing a thesis. Most are on Facebook, chatting simultaneously with fifteen of their closest friends. Some are checking emails. Others are fielding calls from their friends and relatives on their cell phones. { Which are not put on 'silent', to be answered discreetly; rather left at level 7, so everyone knows when the cell phone is ringing)
Others talk so loud, you are forced to eavesdrop on the conversation about when they will be home, who said what to whom, and who is in the picture they uploaded ten seconds ago.
Not only is the noise level different, the materials for check out contrast greatly to the ones 'back in the day'. There are shelves and shelves of videos available to check out; there are CD's - with music and books on CD, and instructional CDs, -to enjoy. It's a wonder that anyone is able to make any money from writing books at all.
I try not to stare. But I do admit, I occasionally help the librarians out by putting my finger to my mouth to remind people not to disturb
No, libraries are not what they used to be. Still, it is nice to know that I can take advantage of the taxes I pay, to enjoy using the library for an hour. My hour is now up. Time to go and pick up my son.
Comments
You can curl up on a cozy corner in the sunporch room which overlooks the lake, and just feast in the beauty
Wow, am I being spoiled
Yea, a library is a special place And one that's changing. Hopefully the "old glory" doesn't get swallowed up in shallow pursuits of an age that is moving VERY FAST.
c