Lara Reyes-Terry, Week 7: America, Let Me Sleep at the Library Please
I haven’t been inside a public library since I was maybe seven.
It’s a weird fact that feels wrong to admit, especially when my friend group is essentially just if you took note of every single type of nerd in existence and shoved them together. As a result, we’re all creatives, readers, writers, and etc. Many of them are also introverts, and I often hear of them talking about meeting up at a local library after school.
I am someone that buys my books, and specifically physical copies. Aside from the emotional reasons, we can all agree that buying books in this day and age isn’t a good decision (half-price books is my holy shrine). But in a previous iteration of this post, when it was just me complaining about general American issues, my good friend (shoutout to Lemon!) said something about libraries that really struck me:
“Had public libraries been made after the Cold War, we wouldn’t really like them here.”
This was in a larger context in reference to how public transport needed more attention, and Lemon had brought up that public libraries faced similar challenges.
But why did I start this post with my lack of experience with libraries? It’s because the reasons I was not allowed out there for so long was because of issues surrounding them.
In general, libraries are at the forefront of the impacts of capitalism. This article put it best in my opinion, “Extreme poverty, unaddressed mental illness, the opioid crisis—all of it walks through our doors and makes itself at home.” Even in concept, a public library reflects socialist belief, it makes knowledge an accessible resource for the public. In addition to this, lack of funding, and competition with the internet also hamper the reputation of these institutions. But what most stuck out to me while researching this was how some people framed libraries as grounds for culture war. It forever remains important to be educated, especially in these times, and it remains an item on power’s list to control information.
I was never allowed to go out to libraries because it “attracted homeless people,” because it was “unsanitary” and “unsafe.” I don’t mean to deny these things, but they are the result of our society’s failures to fully support people who are struggling and fund these places.
I was seven when I first heard of the burning of the Library of Alexandria.
How the burning of a library of all things was so important to so many people fascinated me. Now, it just makes me sad, knowing that in this country, there exists statistics and studies of book burnings. Of religious texts by those who hate them, of queer texts by those who hate them, of POC work, of history, all by those who hate them.
I will be dragging myself to the local library soon, when I am met with the resistance of “it’s unsafe” or “unsanitary” or anything else—I have friends I can go with, who know and adore those places. There’s a reason libraries were magical places in children’s stories, can we bring that back please, America?
Lara, I’d like to start by saying I enjoyed the first line of your blog; it made me pause. While I definitely do not fully relate, my presence in public libraries has certainly declined as I’ve grown older. However, I heavily relate to you in your preference for “physical copies” of books; I am the exact same way. Reading text on a screen—especially for pleasure—will never be the same as having the paper in my hand. I can’t even nor do I want to imagine myself reading my beautiful copies of Harry Potter on a computer screen. I don’t fully understand your claim that buying books isn’t a good decision. I feel like investing in oneself is always a good decision. I also find it interesting you revise blog posts and have iterations. I feel like I should probably start doing that. I don’t know if it’s procrastination, or because I feel like these posts give me a chance to share my authentic voice, so I don’t feel the need to chase perfection with them. This however inspired me to maybe put more effort into them. I also am not that well informed when it comes to US history so the little anecdote with what Lemon shared about “the Cold War” taught me something new, so thank you!! I’m happy you pointed out the issues relating to the areas surrounding libraries as it makes me reflect on how I’ve been around them, and how I can possibly help the situation out—specifically the “unsanitar[iness]” you mention. Your inclusion of the burning of the Library of Alexandria is also extremely impactful. It makes me think about how much power a library has, and just books in general. Your last line in particular, “There’s a reason libraries were magical places in children’s stories, can we bring that back please, America?” sparked me to reflect on some of the books I read as a kid, but even more specifically, my elementary school library. I truly remember every row and bookshelf (and spinning bookshelf; those were so fun) in there. One of my favorite times during the (I think 2nd grade) elementary school week was on Friday from 2:15 to 2:45, or when my class went to the library. Overall, Lara, I loved this blog and it truly made me think about how libraries can affect lives.
ReplyDeleteLara, I absolutely love this topic that you chose to write about for your blog. I was an avid reader when I was a kid. My dad would take me and my sister to the library every few weeks and I would come home with my stack of books and race against myself for how fast I could finish them. However, like you, my trips to the library have become infrequent. Thankfully for me, as someone who also prefers reading physical books, my parents always tell me that if it is to buy a book, they are willing to spend their money. I have always thought of libraries as magical places and to this day, one of my aspirations is to have a library in my house when I am older. I have always loved the idea of having hundreds of worlds and opinions and perspectives right at our fingertips. Historical libraries were filled with inventions and innovations. They brought people together who otherwise would be enemies. I think the stigma around libraries in our country today is one that is extremely sad. A few years ago I was sitting outside a library with my friend and we noticed that all the benches had bars every few feet. Upon seeing this, my friend attributed it to “anti-homeless architecture.” The fact that such a term even exists speaks to the fact that we as a society are not providing solutions to the people who truly need help, instead choosing to cast them further towards the edges of society until they are barely given a second thought. I think it is important that we reclaim the magical ideas we had of libraries, as you said, and I am thankful that you gave me this topic to think about.
ReplyDeleteI honestly can’t imagine not having visited a library in such a long time. I’ve been visiting libraries since I was a small child, and that habit carried on until now. Honestly, I’m not quite sure how the Cold War connects to the popularity of public libraries, but I can see the connection to public transport issues. The viewpoint of libraries being deeply affected by the consequences to capitalism is something I have never actually considered, but the addition of how majority of the problems that have accompanied capitalism have directly affected libraries really helped me understand how public libraries are affected.
ReplyDeleteMy parents have been bringing me to libraries since I was young, to the point where I cannot remember when I first started going to libraries, and they have actively advocated for me to go to libraries, so your reality of being told not to go is quite the shocker and completely opposite of what I have experienced. Honestly, I’ve never heard of libraries being unsanitary or unsafe or attracting homeless people, but I do understand how these opinions of libraries could be formed, considering that libraries are free and open to all people. The ending of your post being addressed to America as a whole is a really nice touch to address directly those who can help with the issues at hand.