Ah!
The feeling of a hardbound book in my hands! The rows upon rows of texts,
stacked five high! The quiet, studious atmosphere!
If
you’re like me, you are surely missing your local library. With the pandemic,
my library has been closed for months. It seems like an eternity. In these days
of Zoom meetings and digital readers, here are a few things I miss about
libraries:
1)
Librarians: Yes, Google helps me track
down reference materials, but search engines are only as smart as I. Many an
instance, librarians have taken my searches in directions I didn’t imagine and
found surprising answers to my questions. And I can have a conversation with a
librarian; the computer remains mute.
2)
A place to concentrate: I write at home.
But, like most writers, I need to get out regularly for the creative juices to
flow. At home, distractions abound: the television, family members and even the
dog. At the library, it is just me and my thoughts, and ideas flow so much more
easily.
3)
Conversations. This might contradict the
previous point, but one of the things I enjoy about libraries are the random conversations
with interesting persons. Yes, they can be distractions if overdone, but are
refreshing and energizing if done intelligently.
4)
Cozy corners and enchanting places: This
is especially true with old libraries, with their long wooden tables and reading
chairs hidden in unexpected places. These places transport me into a mood where,
unsurprisingly, I become easily absorbed in my reading.
5)
Heading home with a stack of books: Somehow,
there is a special feeling of contentment and fulfilment in spending a couple
of hours in the library, wandering through the stacks, exploring dozens of
texts, choosing the appropriate ones, checking them out and planning which one to
read first.
Hopefully these dreadful pandemic
restrictions will end soon, and we can all get back to our normal lives. And
with any luck, my local library will open soon!
Mohan Ashtakala (www.mohanauthor.com) is the author of "The Yoga Zapper," a fantasy, and "Karma Nation" a literary romance. He is published by Books We Love (www.bookswelove.com)
