Whatever happened to the library of my youth?
When I was a kid I spent a lot of my time in the library. My mother likes to tell the story of when I was eight and we were living in Newport, Rhode Island. I used to go to a library nearby and find books to bring home to read. One of our neighbors told my mother that the library I was going to was a private library that was owned by some very wealthy people. Apparently they were so amused by the sight of an eight year old boy coming into their library that they would let me take books home. I was totally clueless about the whole thing.
Being a Navy brat most of the libraries I visited were on military bases. I remember how peaceful and quiet they were. I felt as if I was in another world, one of books and quiet enjoyment. As I grew up I continued to visit libraries and still enjoyed the island of serenity they provided in a hectic and noisy world. With the advent of the Internet and large booksellers like Amazon, Barnes & Noble and Walden Books, not to mention being able to afford to buy my own books, I stopped going to libraries. With my recent retirement I have started to go back to libraries again. The main reason is that being on a fixed income now it would be a good way to save a little money.
So I went to the nearest local public library and obtained a library card. I have to say that libraries have changed dramatically over the years. Of course there are still books and magazines to read, but now libraries have music Cd’s, movies on DVD, audio books and Internet access. But these improvements have come at a cost. The library is no longer the island of peace and quiet that I remembered from my childhood. Now the library is a noisy, crowded and bustling place. The silence is golden rule of the libraries of my day has been replaced with people talking on cell phones, carrying on conversations as if they were at home and a basic disregard for the old rule of silence is golden. This behavior even extends to the staff. I have heard that now some libraries have ‘quiet rooms’ where you can go if you still crave peace and quiet as I do.
I wonder why libraries have gone from being peaceful and quiet to being like an airport terminal over the years. I have an idea it has to do with the changes that have occurred in our society itself. Courtesy, consideration of others, respect for authority and a host of other virtues that are missing in our society today are reflected in the atmosphere that you find in a library today. I think it has gotten so that the staff of the library are afraid to ask someone to be quiet, stop talking on their cell phone and in general behave courteously. They are afraid that someone will yell discrimination or take offense at the suggestion that they cannot do whatever they want in the library. This fear is reflected in society where poor behavior is exhibited in public places all the time and little or nothing is done about it.
So now I just go to the library, find the books I want to check out and go home. There is no longer any peace and quiet to be found in a public library, or even in many other public places like parks and playgrounds. The only serenity to be found is at home, and even that can be hard to find sometimes. Oh the libraries of my youth, I miss you almost as much as I miss my youth.
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