Sunday 18 January 2015

Consider The Library

Just take a moment and consider the library. The building we used to know at school. We either didn't care about it or wanted to spend all our time in it.

I remember at primary school, my friends and I had the bookclub. We only used to convine at break and lunchtimes when the weather was really bad and we weren't allowed to go outside. We never read the same book as this wasn't possible due to the fact that there was only one copy of each book in the classroom library.

Seeing as the most interesting books on the shelf at the time were either by Jacqueline Wilson or Goosebumps books, the book club disbanded within months. And the fact that it was Summer.






A few years later, those same friends and I all became Library Monitors. This meant that we could spent at least an afternoon a week 'tidying' the library or in our case, do nothing, read books and pretend to be doing something useful if a teacher walked past.

When I went to secondary school, one of the main reasons I like the school at first was the library. Until I found out you weren't allowed to go upstairs and there was only 5 computer to use, nearly always being used by others for the whole lunchtime. I soon gave up my trips to the library unless it was absolutely necessary. Even the random postcards I used to collect couldn't lure me back.

 I loved library at my University. It was beautiful and you were allowed to walk anywhere and there were plenty of computers, but by then I had my laptop which I brought with me. The only annoying thing about that gigantic place was that all the books and DVDs needed or related to my course were on the other campus at an equally impressive library, so a trip was made of it whenever we used to go.


I suppose it's obvious that I have a 'thing' about libraries. My sister has always said that she wants a library as impressive and magnificent as the one from Beauty and the Beast. I agree. It is breath taking. But what is even more breath taking is that its not just in animation that dreams come true.




These majestic libraries are all over the world and are simply breath taking. I thought I was about to be made fun of at work when I was staring at these artitectural beauties but many of my colleagues were staring too.

Libraries, I think, have an ethereal glow about them, something about the printed word that makes you want to sit and read or look through books for hours. I sometimes do this in my own home. I am very easily distracted by books, even more so in an amazing setting.