An Hour At The Library

When I was little, I spent a great deal of my summer at the library. There was story hour, and there was the summer reading program booklet to fill up with books read, so there was always a good reason to go. Besides, it was free and air-conditioned, which was a good thing in the humid South.
 
I don't imagine that I have spent that much time in a library since. (Well, perhaps I did in college, but with shelves upon shelves of research books, that library just wasn't the same).
 
I have recently rediscovered the library, a little for the books, but a whole lot more as a respite from the rest of the world. In the library, you are not called upon to spend money. You don't have to talk--rather, you are likely NOT to talk. There is a silence and a stillness that is a rare find in the city. And, on top of all of that, there are thousands of books of all kinds to explore, without any long-term commitment (except returning them on time), and without anyone judging your choices.
 
Why this new discovery? Well, it happens that there is a large library near my work, and with a daily "lunch break" not really at lunch time, I am faced with a free hour, five days a week. I could do errands, but only ones close by. I could schedule appointments, but only if I believe that any doctor's office will run on time all the time. I could meet friends for coffee, but only friends who have the same random hour free. I could go shopping, but only if I want to have no money left by the end of the week. And so, at least some days, I go to the library. There are days when I check out or return books, for myself or for my kids. But there are many days when I just sit--reading, writing emails or blog posts, or simply absorbing the quiet. No matter what I do there for all or part of my hour, I return to work refreshed from my library visit.
 
In New York City, as in many other places, I'm sure, public libraries are struggling to stay afloat in a world of e-readers and online booksellers. I hope they win the fight. So that all of us continue to have not just free books to read, but places to step away from the world, even if it's just for an hour.