I loved the library in my home town. The cornerstone on the building read 1865. There was never a movement to modernize. The aisles are narrow, kind of like one way streets. We had to wait for someone to exit an aisle before we could enter. But we practiced small town courtesy. Who rushes in a library?
Of all the things I miss from my old home, the library is on the top of my list. True, it didn't get a lot of the newest releases. Low budget and all that. But the books we had were like the building: classics.
I visited the local library here as soon as I came to town. Strange. You don't see books when you walk in. There are displays. Brochures. Computer terminals. You have to walk into another room to actually see a book.
The first time I went, I left almost immediately. The library felt more like a store than a place to peruse books. My old librarian, Mrs. Weeks, would nod as we walked in. And then she would mind her own business. In this library, I can't sort the librarians from the clerks. And the noise. Foot traffic. Doors opening and closing. People huddled and whispering.
I came back today because there's an old newspaper article I can't find on the Internet. The librarian was nice, I have to admit. Helpful. And here it is. The article. Just what I need.
It's quiet now. No whispers. My research desk is nestled behind book shelves. As I look around, it doesn't look that strange anymore. The musty odor is gone, but the books are still here. The beautiful wooden shelves are gone. Metal doesn't do it for me. On the other hand, there are so many shelves. So many books.
There will never be a replacement for my old library. It wasn't just about books. It was about community and history. It was about all the experiences I had there since I was a child.
It hit me. There is nothing wrong with my new library, in my new community. It's just not home. Not yet, anyway. But I'm sure, if I give time, it will be.
Hello @pokerm,
The library is home for me, also :) You give us a good sense of the atmosphere in the old library and in the new library. And you create a credible arc for this character.
Thank you for posting this story in the Ink Well community.
You are welcome. Thank you for commenting and appreciating my story.
I really enjoyed this charming vignette about the comforts of a small town library. I've always loved them, even if they don't have all the resources of a bigger, more modern institution. I truly hope they survive.
Thank you very much! I'm glad you were able to relate to my story about hometown libraries.
This was a journey through time and space ... the space of childhood memories in one world, the initial rejection of what is supposed to be like home in another, and then ... the slow finding of the possibilities in the new reality, and the ability to make a new home where we choose to make it. Well done!
Thank you! Adjusting to change is one challenge we face through out lives, isn't it?
Nice story that clearly demonstrates how the antagonist doesn't have to be a killer clown but can be something as subtle as the changes that come with the passage of time.
Ha ha. That is one of the best comments ever, @litguru. So true! Especially in the literary fiction genre, the story's conflict and resolution are sometimes a bit subtle.
Thank you very much! I think it is true that many antagonists (in life) are not people. Challenges come from outside, and from ourselves.
I appreciated your support.
Hi @pokerm, your story is straight to the point and beautiful.
The library is home to me also, i don't know what i will do without them...
Thank you very much. I think 'library people' are a breed apart. It's not just books that we love but the atmosphere.
Thank you! Letting go, of people, places and ideas. Not easy, but necessary to survive and be happy.