The Library
I remember as kids, Mum used to take us to the town library every week and we’d borrow a bagful of books. It was exciting but I bet that library isn’t there anymore.
A fair few people still use public libraries but I believe use has decreased a lot since that time with the proportion of time spent reading books competing with time spent accessing all the other forms of media now available. I think many of us have forgotten the joys of borrowing and returning from a common pool of reading and audio-visual materials. It opens up a whole new range of experiences which we otherwise would not be privy to unless we had money to burn.
This week, I joined the Sydney City Library which is $11 for the year, giving access to 4 city libraries and borrowing privileges for a wide range of fiction, non-fiction, magazines and audio-visual materials.
It was a positive experience. I went in, filled in a form and handed over my joining fee. I was immediately given a swipe card with which I could start borrowing immediately and I did. I borrowed a novel and the March 2004 edition of the New Yorker magazine, recommended by our creative writing teacher as an example of inspirational writing.
It would be unlikely that I would have bought a copy of the New Yorker here in Australia due to the cost, limited availability and my own uncertainty about whether I really was interested in reading it. I’ve read a few articles now of the one I borrowed and so far have found them to be very well-written but very Big Apple-centric (revelation). I don’t think I would read it religiously each month but I now know what style it is written in and have an idea about the content. And the cartoons are very amusing. My knowledge has been expanded and in the future when I hear people talking or quoting the magazine I will have a much better understanding about it.
I think we have been tricked into believing that public libraries are dusty, dull places full of bespectacled social outcasts. At least I had lapsed into that kind of perspective and realise now that it is a fallacy.
I have only ever read two copies of the New Yorker in my life and one of those was while I was sitting in a New York hotel! I agree that the style is very NYC but I guess one would expect this.
Im not sure I find the writing inspirational exactly. Did you?
that brought back memories of PK days, Ruth. I remember the librarian there
too, she was a nice lady. I can’t wait to see your creative writing. The BB
library is good too and it’s free internetting there.
I agree about the writing not being exactly inspirational, Fiona. I wasn’t overly interested in the subject matter. I’m thinking my teacher must have meant the fiction and poetry - there were only a couple of pieces. He also recommended Esquire so that’s another one I want to check out - again I have no idea about it.
I don’t remember the PK librarian at all, Rose! It is great how they have free internet at libraries. It has become an invaluable research tool.