Week 16 Prompt - Books, Past and Present

My earliest memories include books. I was fortunate to grow up in a family where reading was encourage, celebrated, and practiced by both of my parents, as well as the rest of my family. I graduated from Bernstein Bears to chapter books, including my favorites - the Black Beauty series, Little House on the Prairie, and the Great Illustrated Classics. I was really unstoppable - my parents enrolled me in sports so I'd have to put down books and interact with kids my age. While I was resentful then, I will always be appreciative of the importance that my family and schools placed on reading as a way of exploring the world.

Growing up, the library was a large part of this experience. I primarily used our local county library which made a valiant effort to supply the town and outlying areas with new and interesting books. I have very distinct memories of the layout of the library, the display cases that I yearned to display my treasures in, and the seriously intimidating librarians. The day I was finally allowed to go to the adult section on the second floor was a memorable one. 

I am discouraged to hear perspectives like that which were presented in "Staying Awake" (Le Guin, 2008) which paint a bleak picture of books - both their quality and their value in today's world. There is an argument that books are written with an increasingly declining level of talent and imagination - sure, some are. Some bestsellers are predictable and follow a formula that people find comforting. But - I would seriously argue - that many do not fall prey to familiarity and redundant plots and characters. Many books being written today - and in the future - are quality works of literature that deserve an opportunity to be read, re-read, and cherished.

There are some ways in which the world of books and publishing will change in years to come. I believe there has to be an expectation that as our culture evolves, and technology emerges, that the ways in which we read and experience books will evolve, too. However, I would argue that those changes do not necessarily have to change the impact books have on readers. I find it hard (almost impossible) to imagine a day when we do not print books on paper for people to hold in their hands and place on their bookshelves - but that may happen. But what I do not believe will happen is that there is a day when people no longer have use for books - either those that entertain or those that make readers think. Very little of the other forms of entertainment that we have in our lives today can enrich and teach the reader the way a book can. And I find it very hard to believe that there will be a day when people don't demand that they have access to books - because books are the most accessible ways for people to experience the world in ways that they may never otherwise know. Books are resilient and adaptable - they've been around for centuries and are used to document our culture, our lives and our history. They reflect the lives and thoughts of those who write them and change the lives and thoughts of those who read them. 

I  hadn't thought about this prior to this blog post but I guess this is one of the reasons I feel so passionately about becoming a librarian, and I'm sure others do too - because I believe so strongly in the preservation of, and access to, knowledge. So much of that lives within books - and for that reason, I will always advocate for the creation, publishing, distribution and freedom of access to whatever book any individual would want.

Also - I loved this quote from the readings, but got on a bit of a rambling rant and couldn't find a way to incorporate it - so I'll just stick it at the bottom as a final thought :)

"In it's silence, a book is a challenge....it won't move your mind unless you give it your mind, or your heart unless you put your heart into it. It won't do the work for you. To read a story well is to follow it, to act it, to feel it, to become it..." (Le Guin, 2008).