What Is The Library To Me

by Frederick Cox

A place of relaxation, where I can locate information
A place where I can lose my self in stories
A place where I network with like-minded types of people
That’s the library and all it’s glory
   
For me the library is a place of refuge in a world that never stops.  On the outside of the library, there is hustle and bustle.  There is the 9 to 5.  There are orders to follow, pressures to handle and standards meet. However, on the inside there is tranquility.   There is the quiet in the atmosphere, and the seemingly infinite choice of stories in which one can get lost.  The library is my balm in Gilead because through reading, book seeking and the quietness of the environment, I receive a heeling from the internal noise that life plants in my spirit.   In addition to healing, the library is a place where one can get information on virtually any subject.  The answers to many of my questions are right there in the collection.  Whether it is in a book a magazine the Internet, I can always find an answer at the library.

The library is a school for the independent learner.  Any person who knows how to seek information will find that the library has an inexhaustible amount of information available to the patron thirsty for knowledge.  The librarian does not teach the student, but rather, empowers the student to teach his or herself.  I am such a student.  I prefer to seek knowledge and understanding on my own rather than let teachers fill me up with their knowledge.  I could spend hours in the library trying to build my knowledge base on any given subject. I would probably use the library every day if I could.

MY FAVORITE THING TO DO AT THE LIBRARY:

I am a professional storyteller.  I tell folktales, fairy tales and tall tales.  Nothing brings me more pleasure than seeing my audience react when I am telling an African folktale.  I especially like the Anansi stories.  One problem that all storytellers face is keeping their story repertoire current.  Most of the time when I am in the library, I am looking for new stories to learn and tell to children.  I live in Atlanta Georgia, and patronize the Atlanta-Fulton Public Library.  Anytime I feel the need to learn a new story, I go to the nearby East Point branch.  Sometimes I go to the children’s section to find fresh new books with fresh new stories.  Other times I would go to the main stacks.  The 398 call number section is an awesome place to locate traditional and contemporary stories to share with an audience.   The Internet is also a good place to find stories and network with other storytellers.  Often when I am in the library, I go straight to the Internet and find a new story right away.  Still, I must admit that I am more partial to the old-fashioned task of seeking storybooks in the stacks.

I also like to attend library story time because I get to see the approach that other storytellers bring to the craft.  Sometimes it is awesome to witness another storyteller telling the same stories I have told in the past.  I learn from them and they learn from me.  With this in mind, the library is also a place to network with like minds.  We come together and share tricks of the trade with each other.  Atlanta has a vibrant storytelling community, and we support each other in our endeavors. The Kuumba Storytellers of Georgia is a storytelling organization based in Atlanta.   Every member is a professional storyteller from a different background.  We often meet at the library and swap tales.  The atmosphere is just right, and there is always a story to tell.

WHAT IS THE FUTURE OF LIBRARIES

People have said that the library is obsolete.  Technology has supposedly made it easy to do research where there is a computer connected to the internet.  The truth of the matter is that the library is not going anywhere.  According to a report in Library Journal, library usage is up all over the United States.  CBS News anchor Katie Couric reported that library use “thirty percent in Chicago last year and six percent in New York”. This is because the economy has caused people to watch their expenditures.  Instead of purchasing books, CD’s and DVD’s at Borders, People are opting to borrow them from the library.  This is one major cause of the increase in library usage.  Another is recreation.  Libraries are free to the public; therefore, people who need a social place to meet can always come to the library for any interaction that is within guidelines of library policies.  Libraries often have programs for people of all ages.  Story time for children, classes for adults and even book talks for teens continue to bring in patrons.  With this in mind, the future for libraries is promising. 

Before closing, I must address the argument about technology.  The library is perhaps the one place that has continued to change with the wave of technology.  Library computers always have the most current software.  Librarians are always seeking databases to make the user’s research easier.  E-mail and blogs have made it easier for patrons to connect with librarians.  Wikis have and will continue to empower patrons as givers of information rather than just being takers.  We will also see more podcasting, and video-based instruction being done at libraries. Technology will continue to reinvent itself, and that library will reinvent itself along with it.   What this will mean for me is more access to more stories.


1.  Notebook: Libraries.  Pulled from Internet on December 4, 2009
http://www.cbsnews.com/video/watch/?id=4692037n%3fsource=search_video