As a bookseller I am sometimes in the unfortunate position of telling someone that the book they are interested in is not available. Whenever that happens, I always make sure they understand that it may be available on the internet or at their local library for free. Most people will hear free and rush home others will hear library and that's where the fun really starts.
Growing up, my local library was only a couple of blocks away. Having to walk there and back was a ritual I gladly endured as it equated in my mind to being able to return with as many books as I could hold and once I started bringing my " library bag ", that was a lot of books. When I later moved to a new neighborhood, I was disappointed to find that the local library was quite a hike away but my mother assured me that though the distance was greater we could still walk there and back within a few hours. It was a sacrifice I was willing to make. The next time we moved, it was only reachable by several buses or an occasional car trip. This was not a problem however as I determined to endear myself to the librarian who eventually broke the limit on the number of books I could read as I could never deem it possible to only borrow 20 at a time as I never knew when the next chance would be. This was silly of course as the books would need to be returned by a certain date but I was terrified I'd read through the pile way before then. So as I grew up books were always available to me. When eventually as a teenager I discovered bookstores the world virtually bloomed with reading possibilities but I always kept the library as my first resource.
So nowadays when I tell people to check their local library the various reactions I get puzzle me as they can vary from wonder to outright hostility. I have dealt with customers who never even thought to check out their local libraries and have no understanding of how to interact with them. There are others who have looked confused and asked what made us different from a library; I have gently reminded them that the word store is included in our name. People have gasped and stared at me as though I was the great Sphinx come to life with the answer to an age old riddle. And I have had people who have, with great dignity let me know that they DO NOT go to the public library! But the ones I can understand best are the ones that simply inform me they've tried but the book was also unavailable there. In each instance they have unwittingly given me information about their reading styles. As an avid reader knows, you will do whatever you can to get your hands on a coveted title. So, in each case, each one of these customers has given me a glimpse into their inner thoughts and sometimes I wish they hadn't.
Dealing with this as a bookseller is frustrating because the reason I became a bookseller was to share my love of books and reading. Being able to tell someone who is unaware that books are available from many different vendors, libraries, garage sales, and publishers is always a kick as the light of excitement sparks in their eyes. Introducing children who have not had a library card introduced to them as part of their elementary school adventures is one of the best feelings I get to have over and over, and although I cherish those moments they also make me sad to realize that somewhere along the line, the idea of the library has somewhat fallen between the cracks and in such the love of reading has been malnourished for many and their ability to learn and grow stunted. So, though the word library may garnish me moments of frustration, sadness, or quiet pleasure, I continue to use this seven letter word with impunity. I think the book gods will forgive me in the end. As I remind the children at the end of my story times, the reason that books are so important is that the human soul needs these stories to grow and bring us together. They let us see the world in ways we never could have imagined. They let us dream of endless possibilities and new horizons. They tie us to the stories told on the caves of our ancestors, the fire side stories told by memory of great deeds and ancient heroes. They are the connection to our past and future and they are housed in great temples called Libraries just waiting for the siren call to seduce you into picking them up. So teach yourself and your children to say the word with the reverence and joy it deserves. Visit your local libraries and see them for the treasure troves they are. Bookstores and libraries will never stop being important unless we let it happen. I for one refuse to stop a life long love affair with either.
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