Reader's Paradise

I love books.  I love their smell and feel.  I love to read them and treasure them and be surrounded by them.  When I dream, I dream of being in the middle of endless rows of bookshelves, shelves so high that you need a ladder to access them all.

I've tried Kindle, the modern e-readers that allow to carry an infinite number of books in the palm in your hand.  I've tried them, and I've failed.  Cold electronic type cannot compete with cracking open a spine of a book. turning to whatever page you want, cozying down into a comfortable chair with it, coffee cup steaming, ready to be transported to another world and place.

Not only do I love books, I really love bookstores.  A quality bookstore, new or used, where I can easily lose a day.  The more spread-out, the more maze-like,  the more jumbled, the better.  Sadly, these type of bookstores are slowly disappearing, especially from small towns.  The last used bookstore in my home area closed up several years ago.

I understand the nature of American capitalism.  I understand when sales and interest decline, they cannot be sustained.  But I sure do miss them.  I made a comment once about how this area can't sustain one decent bookstore, but we have dozens of auto parts stores.  It's odd to me, as I have no interest in auto part stores, unless my battery dies and I need one quick, but I was quickly told by friends how necessary they all were, and I shouldn't be complaining.  And they were right.  If there wasn't enough business for so many stores, market competition would drive some of them out of business.

So, yeah, I understand the business reasons.  That doesn't stop me from missing it, and wishing we could have one.  I used to get itchy if I couldn't go to a bookstore or comic shop (now even harder to find than bookstores) at least once a week.  Now, everything's online, which is just not the same experience at all.

If only you could go someplace and get the same experiences and feeling that you could from a good bookstore!

Thankfully, there is.

It's called the public library.  

There are shelves of books to get lost in.  They often have book sales in which you can fill your own shelves.  They often have cushy chairs, and nooks where you can read and escape.  

They have friendly librarians who can help you find what you're looking, or help you discover the perfect book you didn't even know was there.  They can help you find books that aren't at the library, and often arrange to bring it in so you can borrow it.

They have book clubs, and people with like interests meeting.  They have story reading time for children, and summer activities, and guest authors, and access to things beyond books - including the Internet, films, music, and audio.

No, it's not a perfect substitute.  I wish they would serve coffee and refreshments (some libraries have experimented with this, to mixed results).  It would be swell as a source to buy new books you were interested in, perhaps a lend and buy program.  And it would be nice if the depths of in-library book offerings would be stronger and a little more diverse.

These changes may come in time.  Meanwhile, if you are me, and jonesing for a bookstore visit. let this be a serviceable substitute.

And who knows?  The more of us who visit, the more of us who borrow, participate, and buy, the more interesting and stronger our public libraries will become?

Well, I've convinced myself.  That's where I'm going - the public library!  See you there!