It's National Library Week, and all across the country local libraries are having events to remind the community how special they are. The local library is a haven for many, from one's inner Matilda, trying to learn something outside of what our parents teach us, to the young child who has a project for class, but no Internet at home to use to complete it. The library is a special place, and it deserves some special recognition.
The library can feel weird to some, whether it be the fact that not everyone is an arduous reader, maybe they have a late book from a million years ago and feel like they were spotted as soon as they walked in, or what I think is most likely is that libraries can feel weird to the modern visitor for a very different reason. Libraries are a place of community where you are in no way obligated to spend any money. This is a shrinking list for modern America.
You can use computers and other important research tools for free. Libraries also don't just have old books, you can go rent best sellers as well (although there is more than likely going to be a waiting list, but that's a small price to pay). Staff is present to assist you with nearly any question you may have. Event boards show their spare rooms are available for use, and many educational classes are held there for children to adults, whether it be a story time or how to find a job, your local library is a far more vital resource than many would realize, all for free.
There are two stories I have that come to mind. When I was in seventh grade, I had just moved to Florida. I lived in a small trailer that had been hauled all the way from rural Washington state with my four family members and we were trying to find a job that would get us on our feet, and when school started, I didn't realize that unlike my poor small town in Washington, everyone down here was essentially middle class. Everyone had the Internet, everyone had the resources to do their school projects at home, no trouble. I was the only one who didn't raise their hand when the teacher asked if we could finish work online at home. I looked around and saw all of the hands raised without question, and felt alone. I lied, and raised mine as well.
I told my dad I had homework, but we needed a computer to do it. He took me to the library that Saturday, but had to work his new job and so he dropped me off at twelve, when they opened, and said he'd be back at four, when they closed, which at the time seemed like an eternity. I only had to write one page on Winnie the Pooh's author, A.A. Milne. I was done in twenty minutes. I was left to wander the books and small DVD collection in silence. I was in a new world, Florida was too bright for me back then. I was taken from something I knew and thrust into a place that moved too fast for me. I finally settled on Sherlock Holmes, and read quietly, waiting for my dad to come get me. As four got closer, I knew I would be there after they closed. He came and got me right at four, and I went home with a sigh of relief knowing I could hand in my work like everyone else.
Our libraries are a place where people can escape whatever disadvantage they have at home and get whatever news, information, or entertainment that they lack. Libraries also have music, movies, TV shows, and the Internet available for anyone to use, allowing a little poor kid like me to find out what this Myspace thing was all about (I know I am dating myself here, but its true).
My last story about a library is one I hope you all share, to some degree. Finals. Ten pages due tomorrow. I sat down in the UCF library with a thesis in my head, and nothing on the page. I sat at a computer (not my own so I wouldn't be tempted to play video games) and slammed out in four hours the greatest thoughts on cultural studies anyone has ever seen, leaving only once to pee. I wrote that paper until my mind had lost its way, and came back again. No one in the library gave me a second look as I bounced around in my chair, everyone there certainly in a similar situation. Thank you library, I am glad you are there for me.
