Rediscovering the library
September 12th, 2007 | Published in Thoughts, Books & Reading, Personal | 8 Comments
I rediscovered the public library last weekend. I used to go quite a bit as a kid, but as I got older I always preferred to purchase books instead. But I’m slowly realizing the futility and expense of that, so my new plan is to only purchase books I know I will re-read or use often for reference. The rest I will check out from the library.
(In my battle for simplicity, I went through my personal library and weeded out over 150 books and donated them to a thrift store. Two months ago I would have rather donated my fingers.)
Though there were quite a few people at the library, few were there for the books. Most were there for the computers, which they had everywhere. Naturally being a busybody, I walked around to see what was so interesting.
The first thing I saw was a half-naked man and teenage girls chuckling. Then there were small kids browsing rap artist websites. After that was another kid playing an online game. The rest were browsing either myspace or facebook, with the obligatory half-naked photo of their online buddy and tiled backgrounds that make you want to tear your eyes out. (Or is it just me?)
That doesn’t seem like what library internet access is for. Isn’t library internet for research and email? Why isn’t there a filter on it that blocks myspace and facebook and games? Kids can browse those websites at home. The library is for reading and research, not online social networking and electronic games.
Or maybe I’m just old-fashioned and think libraries have something to do with public education.
September 12th, 2007 at 3:42 pm (#)
One of my favorite episodes of the Simpsons has the family going to the public library to find that it has transformed into a “multimedia learning center for children of all ages” and all the books have been replaced by DVDs, manga and homeless people.
September 12th, 2007 at 6:57 pm (#)
I’ve been checking more books out of the library also. Book buying is an expensive habit. By the way, next time you purge 150 books you can donate them to me.
September 12th, 2007 at 7:17 pm (#)
I agree with the library approach. I think often books are a kind of indulgence that, although often unnecessary (because of libraries), Christians tend to overlook because of our love of right-thinking (which is good).
But it seems to me that Jesus really does promote a life of radical simplicity, and that does not exclude books. We should not admire people for having vast libraries (in a society of public libraries) any more than we admire people for accumulating some other type of possession.
That’s my 2 cents, anyways, I like your decision :)
September 12th, 2007 at 7:19 pm (#)
Good point, Robert!
September 13th, 2007 at 3:58 am (#)
The problems with libraries I have:
1. They don’t have the books I want. I’m looking for christian books that are not mainstream enough to be found in a library.
2. I want to make notes in the books. This is very important for me to digest the information in the book.
How do you deal with these problems?
September 13th, 2007 at 4:09 am (#)
I haven’t noticed things getting quite *that* bad in my local libraries (though I confess I haven’t spent too much time looking at what people were using the computers for, so maybe they are that bad after all).
But then again, I rarely spend time *in* the library anymore. I search for the books I want in the library’s online catalog, reserve them, and have them sent to my favorite branch, where I pick then up at the front desk.
If our city’s system doesn’t have the book that I want, I click another button and search the state’s interlibrary system, and summon the book from the dustiest, most distant college library if I have to. It gets shipped to my branch within a couple weeks at most.
Maybe *that’s* where all the actual book readers have gone? :)
September 13th, 2007 at 9:05 am (#)
Philipp: #1 usually works through library loans — books they don’t have can be requested from other ones. More specialized books I’ll buy or borrow.
I don’t know how I’ll deal with #2 yet. Maybe I’ll keep a book thought journal instead of making margin notes. But if I think I’ll be making lots of notes and want to keep them, then of course buying it used would be the best option.
holmegm: Well I’m in the inner city, so it might be worse here. I haven’t used inner-library loan yet, but it will be something I will pursue soon. My local branch doesn’t have nearly as many books as I expected.
September 13th, 2007 at 11:58 am (#)
I’m with Philipp on both points. But I see those as two exceptions to a rule that is a good rule. There are some rules that, even if they are very flexible and have lots of exceptions, will have a substantial impact on how your future is shaped.
I rediscovered my local library about three years ago. My book-buying is a lot less compulsive, now.