Libraries

               At this time of gift giving it probably seems strange to read about a place where you borrow, but I love libraries no matter what time of year it is.  I always have.  For me libraries are sanctuaries that provide me with knowledge and quiet.  There is only one I can think of that I have ever truly disliked.  When I walked through the doors it was as quiet as a tomb, and they wanted it that way.  There was to be no sound whatsoever, which made it difficult to look at the books in the stacks.  I was always concerned that any movement I made would disrupt the world and I would either get severely glared at or asked to leave all together.  Being asked to leave over making a slight noise would be an extreme action, but when something is that quiet, it does make one wonder.  Fortunately very few libraries in my experience are this intense.  Most are welcoming and they want their patrons to enjoy the facilities.  They want people to come in and learn at every corner, without feeling like they’re in a tomb.   

                What’s so great about libraries is there are so many different things you can borrow.  There are books, of course, but there are also movies, music, and sometimes even art.  All can be taken home for a specified amount of time and returned by their due date so someone else can enjoy them.  With so many things in the world to experience, I see the library as a great way to try something out without having to pay for it.  If you pick up something you don’t end up liking, all you have to do it return it by the due date and be done with it.  There isn’t any fretting about wasting money on something you didn’t like because no money was actually spent.  If you did happen to like what you borrowed, then you can go out and buy it for yourself in whatever form you prefer. 

                  Even though libraries do lend other media, to me they are still primarily about books and reading. They are about giving us words that transport us to another place entirely. These places, whether in fiction or non-fiction, teach us about people other than ourselves. They grow our perception of the world and why things happen the way they do. We think about things we have never thought about before, and in the process, grow our minds. All this can happen without ever leaving the library.