Books and reading in our digital age.
Photo credit: onlinelearningtips.com
The need for libraries in our digital age
“I don’t wanna read for that stupid class. Books are gross I mean, I practically like forgot how to read anyway,” a gum-snapping teenybopper whined on my subway ride home. I rolled my eyes and silently chewed her out before realizing that I was no better.
When was the last time I read a book not for some assignment, but because I wanted to? I’m pretty sure Clinton was still in office the last time I perused the shelves of the Bayside Public Library. So I bit the bullet and paid a visit to my long neglected friend.
These books were portals back into childhood.
Photo credit: Elizabeth Kim
Stepping inside, I was overwhelmed with nostalgia. There was the front desk counter where I proudly signed my first library card, pencil firmly gripped. I sadly realized the columns of books didn’t stretch or tower infinitely. I couldn’t help but pick out my favorite Judy Blume and sit in an empty chair. My phone threatened to break the serenity, but I promptly put it on “silent” and tossed it. Minutes turned to hours and my pile of literature steadily grew.
The times they are a-changing. No more hand written cards!
Photo credit: Elizabeth Kim
My visit reminded me how important libraries are to our communities. Not only do they offer a multitude of books (most of which are nonexistent online), they also provide a service for free in an era where free entertainment is rare. Libraries are a space where you can shut off distractions and use that precious time to work or simply escape into the worlds printed in the covers of its countless books.
