Friday, March 25, 2011

Library Haunting


This article from Utne Reader has so many statements that so captures the feelings I have when I'm in a library.  Here's one of them:  "...enter a library, and we lose our hard surfaces and become porous, like paper waiting for ink. We breathe in the smell, that sweet intermingling of must and glue, and our troubles melt away. Our despair at the desk when the words wouldn’t come; our irritation at an imagined slight or a telephone that rang and rang; our sore back—all forgotten. Here, in the hush of the stacks, we can forget the day’s indignities; here, we can recover our curiosity and hope."  This spirited defense of public libraries is a must read.

4 comments:

Robert Clear said...

This is very interesting, and definitely strikes a chord!

Deborah Lawrenson said...

Yes, perfectly true and beautifully expressed. There is a distinctive smell encapsulated in libraries of old books too - held in the very pages of those books - even if it is only ancient glue, it takes me back to student days when anything seemed possible.

Libraries are so important, on so many levels.

KY Warrior Librarian said...

You are so right Deborah, libraries are so important (on so many levels)and I hope that is something we never forget or take for granted.

susan.olding said...

Thank you so much for your kind words about my essay! It is a wonderful feeling to know that I have readers. I am so grateful to librarians everywhere.

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