Library

I have always loved libraries. The smell of books make me crazy...maybe its because there are so many stories to tell from each book. I loved going back in the stacks in college and riffle through all the books in the history section or any section for that matter. People thought I was crazy when I would leave with 15 books at once. (I was a history major so 15 books is on the low end.) I don't know what it is but whenever I visit or live in a place I want to visit the library. I think you can tell a lot about a community's values in how well they keep their library. Sounds silly, but its true. Is the library up to date, do they have a connection with other libraries to get books they may not have, etc. It basically says "we value education and helping bring the imagination alive for the people that live here." No this could be total bias, but I really think that is true. Well, in all honesty it is complete bias, because I am what people would call a "Forever Student." I am going back to school this fall and I can't wait to set foot in the college libraries around here. I know this sounds silly, but I want to see what this community really values for its young people. I want to see if they are truly putting in the investment they need to.  If I walk in there and its mostly computerized I might cry. If I don't get to use a microfiche I might faint. I had a personal relationship with all the librarians at my college, they could get me anything I asked for. For my senior thesis they were able to get me books that were out of print and in special collections, along with several articles from journals that aren't even distributed in this country!!! They are my rock stars...let's hope  i have the same experience in my new libraries. :)

Be kind and go to the library-read a book.