Pithy Quote Three

The Center of Town

“It’s odd, but other people’s libraries can be intimidating, while yours can be your very best friend. That’s one of the things that makes a community’s library very special…School and work or classes and clubs may separate us, segregating us by interest and age. But libraries remain one of the few places in this world that still bring us together.” (53)

            Chris Bohjalian writes about many different stories in his work The Center of Town, but the one that I found to be the most interesting is Losing the Library. Out of all the different stories he told, this one stuck out to me. I found it interesting when he talks about the librarian Norton who “never shushed a soul in three decades as librarian,” and how he could name every person that would be at the library on what day. (52) Then to hear how devastated that small community was after it had lost so many books in the flood was terrible. The library for them was a place that brought everyone together, no matter who you are. I think that this quote really added to how much the library means to this town and how it brings them together.

            I used to love going to the library a couple years ago, but it wasn’t the type of library like this. But I didn’t know people by their names that were there. I didn’t go on a regular basis, and when I went I would leave as soon as I checked out my book. But I wish my library was like the library Bohjalian wrote about. I think that it’s one of those small community things where you know everybody that lives there. I think less people are going to the library these days. I know that I haven’t been to the library in a long time. But it’s not because I stopped reading, it’s because I either buy my books or borrow them from a friend or family member. But I think that each community and town should have a library like this where people can go and just know who everyone is there. And I think it’s important for people to go just to read books. People can just read books online and on electronic devices. But I think holding the book in your hands is all part of the experience of reading a good book or story. I think people are moving further and further away from the library today, but I think we should be trying to be moving towards a library like the one Bohjalian writes about.