Thursday, September 8, 2016

Thursday Thoughts...

I love a library. The idea of reading books for free didn’t kill the publishing business, on the contrary, it created nations of literate and passionate readers. Shared interests and the impulse to create. 

 David Byrne

Sometimes the world of books becomes all woe is me - the e-book will be the end of the real book; the audio book will knock off the e-book and so on. But I think things are beginning to find their new balance. People still read real books. People still read books full stop!

Libraries didn't kill off publishing in the slightest and the wonder of them is that they continue to give opportunities to people who love to read but who can't afford to keep buying all the books they want to read; and of course the multiple other benefits afforded a community and individuals by having a library with doors open.

They also store and keep books that would otherwise disappear; they let us investigate and research using books we could never get for ourselves. They are still going strong.

Yay libraries is pretty much how I sum  it up!


Books behind bars, Morgan Library New York City.

13 comments:

  1. This made me proud to have been a librarian. Thank you for that. And I am equally proud that today's librarians (some of them anyway) are looking beyond the book by lending out tools and toys and all manner of other things so adults and children alike can learn and create. It is the quintessential democratic institution!

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    1. Hi Liz....just saw your comment and wanted to share that I just stopped by our public library (where I used to work) and they have someone lined up to teach ukulele lessons this fall and are actually purchasing 10 ukuleles to check out to the patrons! All manner of things, to be sure!! --Cheers, Patti

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    2. Liz and Patti I agree with you both about what amazing things libraries do - they are art galleries, computer hubs; family history research centres; and the list goes on and on - the best of places!

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  2. Fiona.....wonderful! Yay for libraries....I believe in them wholeheartedly, as you know....for all the reasons you have given. They are the great equalizer in many ways, allowing books and knowledge to be accessible to everyone. And, oh where would we be without books....it's all I can do sometimes to yank myself away from what I'm reading, even to get into the studio! Cheers to you...Patti

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    1. Very much yay for libraries Patti! I love how they help equalise the world of opportunities and offer so much to so many...my kind of place of sure. Go well.

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  3. Libraries. Lots of words waiting to be devoured without all the chatter.

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  4. those beautiful old books by bars!

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    1. I know Mo - almost sad, but on the other hand almost reverence? Beautiful old books regardless...

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  5. My "day job" is in a library and I can't tell you how often I hear comments affirming a love of printed books. E-books are great too -- how easy it is now to take a whole virtual stack of books with you in a tablet -- but I don't think they will ever eliminate books in print. I just read a statistic this week, and don't remember the exact percentage, but paper books are on the upswing again and outselling e-books by a significant margin. Great post, Fiona!

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    1. Thanks Kathleen! I love reading - real books are my faves; but I don't leave home without several unread volumes on my iPhone and iPad - especially when I travel. I'm not yet an audio book person, but I wonder if I could be? I listen to BookRIot podcast and they have also mentioned that e book sales are stagnating; but audio is on the up I think? Interesting times, go well!

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  6. yes to libraries, especially the democracy of public libraries. my archivist librarian daughter teaches kids to knit at her job, as well as archiving important collections.

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    1. Yes to libraries, yes to equality, yes to democracy! Lots happens at libraries - I only ever manage to skim the surface of these radicals! Go well.

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I appreciate your thoughts and comments; thanks for taking the time.