Library 451

The library has always played an important part in my life. As far back as I can remember I loved going to the library. In elementary school some of the earliest books I read were Tintin books, followed by boys adventure novels.

When I was older I would occasionally go to the Bountiful Public Library, but it was on the other side of town and hard to get a ride to. So I frequented the Bookmobile. Every week I would wait for it and then go through every book looking for the gems that were hidden there. I remember reading every book by Fred Allen. I didn’t know who he was at the time, but it was in the humor section so that was fine.

After I got married one of the first things I always did after moving to a new town was go and get a library card. Though I couldn't afford to buy books, I could still indulge my large appetite for them at the library.

After our kids were born, when they turned five we would take them to the library to get their own card. It was a thrill for me to see them discover the joys of the library for themselves.

For over 20 years I and my family have visited the library on a regular, almost weekly schedule. I loved to browse the new books, check out the new music and films, and dig through the stacks for an older title that I had somehow overlooked.

Well, about six months ago our library closed for a short time for a remodel. They had closed before to rearrange the sections, so no big deal. But this time was different. When they reopened it wasn't the library that I had always loved. Instead the book sections had been vastly downsized and moved out of the way. Instead, a third of the library had been turned into the Teen Corner, where computers were available to browse the internet, large tables were in place to hang out and chat and drink a latte, and very few books were arranged.

The rest of the library wasn't much better. The new book section had been consolidated down to half the size it was before. Another bank of computers were set up for patrons to use to browse the internet. A vending machine had been installed to dispense DVDs. No more browsing to look for an older movie to enjoy, or to find a documentary that you weren’t aware existed. And speaking of vending machines, two were now in place as you enter to sell coffee and canned pop. The magazines had been expanded to twice the size as before, though most of the titles on the racks won't still be published in the next two years.

Our library had a history of being one of the most used libraries in the state of Washington. By used I mean people checking out books and other media. Not being used as a internet cafe or a substitute for the mall.

So this is what a library is now: no longer a place to find a book to help you write a paper for school (had to shrink the number of books down to make room), no longer a place of quietude where you could sit and spend an afternoon with a novel. It has lost its identity; its uniqueness.

I miss the library. Anyone know where a Bookmobile can be found?