Love in the Library

Fatherhood Friday

Every since I was a little kid I've been a reading addict and a library lover. I remember being nine years old and taking out 20 books at a time, racing through them, and coming back for more. I'm delighted to see my oldest son developing a similar passion of reading, and even my youngest son enjoys books and story time quite a bit. It got me thinking of some random thoughts on reading and libraries. Read on:

• For better or worse, I truly do think I'm a reading addict. I have always got to be reading something. At any given time I've got a pile of books by my bed, magazines in every room in the house, and 5 different newspapers open online. I sometimes wonder if I'm absorbing it all, or is it simply the act of reading that drives me. I've really been wondering lately if perhaps it is a kind of addiction, and I don't mean that in a positive way.
• I recall reading that the strongest indicator that our children will grow up with a strong Jewish identity (I'm Jewish) is the presence of books in the house. Not Jewish books. Simply the presence of any books. I wonder how that applies to other faiths as well.
• I absolutely love the library. I love taking out 15 books at a time just because they look interesting and maybe reading only a few of them before they are due back. I love rifling through their CD collection and exploring new music that I might never have been exposed to. I love exploring the DVD collection, especially if it has an extensive section of older films. I love that you can take out pretty much anything you want and it doesn't cost a dime.
• Taking my kids to the library is such a joy, though it depends on the library. When my oldest son was a toddler, the library in town had a play area for young children. It was great for inviting kids into the world of books and we'd go there all the time. I'm rediscovering what that is like as I took my 19 month-old to hang out in the library for the first time last week. It was wonderful, though not all the patrons appreciated his squeals of joy playing with the train toys. We left early. We'll be back.
• In every town we've lived in since that first one with my oldest son
  (there have been four of them) we've gotten to know the libraries, their collections and the librarians. Some are great - wide open, large sections for kids - and others are less than satisfactory - crowded, not enough new materials.
• I am really bothered by a poster at the library in my current town. (I took a picture of it; see above). Its got an image of a boy who didn't return his books on time being chased by what looks like 3 police officers. The poster is located right behind the checkout counter. I understand the need to teach kids (and adults) the need to return books on time and respect borrowed material, but the suggested punishment hardly fits the assumed crime. I'm not sure that this poster will really foment a love of reading.

I'm a huge Jimmy Buffett fan. He's known for taking us to the tropics and other forms of escapism. But one of my favorite songs is called "Love in the Library". Its as much about falling in love with the library as it is about falling in love with another patron who seems to share similar passions. Check out the lyrics - http://www.lyricsfreak.com/j/jimmy+buffett/love+in+the+library_20071955.html

(photo credit: TNH Guy)

 

Comments

[Ian Anstice]

Lovely article and, as a librarian of 16 years standing, I too dislike the picture you show. Seeing the user as some sort of enemy or criminal is sadly something I have come across in my time and I do try to step on it.

We (librarians) should be spending all our time promoting the love of reading (and libraries, naturally). There are no negative signs in my branch library - not one - and we positively encourage noise in the children's library. Frankly, if the library is not buzzing I am worried I am not doing my job properly.

When I do a school assembly, I go all-out to push the message, getting the children to say "ooh!" and "aah!" as I say things like, "You can borrow 20 kids for free". And, here's a thought - in my authority we only ever phone if someone has a late book (after sending a letter/email reminder) and that seems to work. The police? Good grief no!

[Ian Anstice]

Or even "borrow 20 books for free"!!!

[stacy]

I love love love the library, too. And, now, so do my kids. As I kid, I took out seven books each week, one for each day, and then got seven more the next. Apart from the Jimmy Buffet song, there's another library-related song we love by PBS favorite Steve Songs. It's simply called "Library" and it's a lot of fun.