Tuesday, April 16, 2013

Opinion, Rant, Same Thing: Libraries

Seeing as most of my ORST segments seem to be a bit angry and defensive in tone, I thought I'd choose a lighter subject. However, don't be misguided, I'm just as passionate about libraries as any other YA associated place or subject.

My relationship with libraries can be traced back to my childhood. My mother would always bring me along, showing me through the rows upon rows of books. I already loved reading, and here was an establishment filled with books at no cost to me besides a promise to bring them back.

Because of this upbringing, I've never understood people who don't use their libraries or don't find them useful. I mean, these books are free! Libraries give you the freedom to read almost any book you want. Besides that, they offer a place to find other readers and a quiet place to study if your house is too loud.

However, looking back, I suppose I was a bit privileged in the libraries department. My local library was very well equipped with new releases in all genres including YA, a genre not always well represented. Furthermore, the closest library is only ten minutes from my house which is almost the same distance as the closest bookstore. I understand this isn't always the case.

Finally, late fees... I am happy to pay them. They never ask for too much unless you've had a book since you were three, and the money is only going to go back into the library. They'll use it to get the new book I'll want to check out next month, or to help pay for a new computer. My mom's even been able to pay hers off in spirits with however much she had at the time. The librarians were always happy she was simply making an effort.

So while I recognized not everyone has the same library as me, I think everyone should give them a second chance.


What's your childhood experience with libraries? Your adult experience? Love them? Hate them? Continue the discussion in the comments!

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