The library, a place I have always been drawn to, a place of wonder, full of stories just waiting to be read, and books that smell perfectly of paper, of words, ahhhh... Okay, so I like books, I like to read, and yes, I have, in general, always liked libraries. When i was a kid, my mom would take me downtown to the public library and I would spend hours looking at the books, carefully selecting the ones what would get to go home with me (lucky them) and be read over and over again until the day I had to return them and would get to pick new ones. We would always park in the parking garage underground, under the library. The parking garage was, and honestly still is, very scary, at least I think so. It always seemed so dark and like there was a monster ready to jump out and grab me. Yeah, I had a vivid imagination as a kid.... After we made it safely through the monster's lair, we stepped into the elevator that would take us up and into the library. I would hear the "ding" and the doors would open, and in my mind I saw this:
Yes, that is the library from Beauty and the Beast. To me, even our public library in Springfield, IL looked like that. It was a glorious building, full of books, all (in my mind) waiting for me to pick them up, lovingly check them out, and take them home and read them. Okay, this might sound corny and somewhat pathetic, but my love for books knew no bounds. Reading was the best way to spend an afternoon, well reading and roller skating with my awesome white and pink skates. Some things, as I have found, never change. I still love to read, I still love books, and yes, i still dream a library like the one from Beauty and the Beast. Big girls need dreams, too after all.
As much as I love visiting libraries, they have taken on new meaning as I have gotten older and I associate them with less magic and more work. Tear.... As like many of you, I spent a great deal of time at the library in college, not reading and looking at what wondrous literary treasures the library held, but rather, studying, doing research. Forced reading is definitely not the same. I can admit that I would take breaks and wander into sections I found interesting and see what I could discover. I wandered because I knew I could not sit in these sections if I wanted to have any chance in hell of actually focusing. Sadly, the library at ISU became a place I dreaded rather than one that I dreamed about and lived for.
In my current job, which I LOVE, I serve three counties, Mason, Menard and Logan. Lincoln is the main town in Logan County and once a month, I make the little jaunt there to sit and meet with leaders. Basically, I make myself more conveniently available to them, and usually, they are very appreciative. It is nice to get out of the office sometimes and when i decided that the public library would be the place I went, it became even nicer, or so I thought. I go during the day, early to late afternoon, and well, I think the time of day makes a difference in my level of affection for the library. Do you know who frequents a public library in the middle of the day? Let me tell you: freaks! Seriously! I am the only normal person in there! Here are the other people who choose the library as their hang out mid-day: the creepy old man who uses the microfilm machine and breathes too loudly, in that creepy stalkerish way. The woman with nothing better to do so she comes to the library to talk with her librarian friend, LOUDLY! The younger man, who at first doesn't seem so scary, but then is when you realize he is oddly smiling at things on his computer screen and is looking around deviantly as he surfs the web. The homeless people. Yes, homeless people. I am not a mean and insensitive person, but it is very distracting when you are sitting here, focused and working, and some lady comes and sits by you who reeks, badly, and then talks to herself as she looks at the newspaper. Then she walks back and forth past you so her odor wafts into your clean air and pollutes your nose, again and again. I am pretty sure that the twenty-something, young professional, nicely dressed, with her laptop, binder and headphone, working on spreadsheets and checking email, making lists and filling out forms, is the normal one, and yes (for you smartasses), that was me today.
It makes me sad that when I think of a library the latter two experiences are what I think of. I still love to read and enjoy the smell of a new book, the heft of it in my hands as I curl up with it on the couch, along with a cup of hot tea. I am trying to get back to my childhood visions of the library, the ones full of magic and wonder. Any thoughts? Maybe I just need to watch Beauty and the Beast again over my holiday break.... Here's to books!
