It is clear to me that I misunderstood the proper use of a library when I first discovered their fascinating treasures. As a young boy, I guessed (apparently in error) that libraries were cathedral-like retreats for quiet, learning, and wonder. My residual reverence for libraries, I think, sometimes baffles my students who see the campus library rather differently (i.e., a place where computers are used and copies of student-written papers are hurriedly printed at the last minute before class on the nearby library's printers). My humble perspective on a library's appropriate place within a community would certainly be at odds with what is happening in public libraries throughout the country. If librarians are now suffering stress because of problems in libraries, perhaps we need something like a time-machine in which we can turn back the clock (pardon the hackneyed metaphor) so that my older, less tarnished version of a library becomes the model for libraries in 2009 and beyond. But, of course, that is simply too simple and far too naive.
It is clear to me that I misunderstood the proper use of a library when I first discovered their fascinating treasures. As a young boy, I guessed (apparently in error) that libraries were cathedral-like retreats for quiet, learning, and wonder. My residual reverence for libraries, I think, sometimes baffles my students who see the campus library rather differently (i.e., a place where computers are used and copies of student-written papers are hurriedly printed at the last minute before class on the nearby library's printers). My humble perspective on a library's appropriate place within a community would certainly be at odds with what is happening in public libraries throughout the country. If librarians are now suffering stress because of problems in libraries, perhaps we need something like a time-machine in which we can turn back the clock (pardon the hackneyed metaphor) so that my older, less tarnished version of a library becomes the model for libraries in 2009 and beyond. But, of course, that is simply too simple and far too naive.
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