Hamburg Central Library welcomes patrons in many languages and offers free wifi
Since I was 19, I’ve often thought about a student who I’ve never met and whose name I don’t even know. I encountered that young man in the preface of the German translation of Eduardo Galeano’s book Open Veins of Latin America. To make the point how widely the book was read and how influential it had been, the preface told the story of a Buenos Aires university student who wanted to read the book so badly but couldn’t afford to buy a copy. So what he did was read the book in bits and pieces by moving from one bookstore to another: in each store, he would pretend to browse, read 5-10 pages until the manager realized that he had no intention of buying and would throw him out. Over the course of a couple of weeks and with innumerable interruptions, the young man read the whole book this way.
As someone who easily gets lost in a book and has often found it difficult to tear herself away from a gripping read – and Open Veins of Latin America certainly is – I deeply felt for the student. The story brings home the injustice of unequal access to knowledge. It also made me conscious of a privilege I had taken for granted until then: access to a library.
Throughout most of my life I have been fortunate to be affiliated with a variety of institutions that have provided me with access to well-stocked libraries.
In fact, a good part of my life has been spent in libraries. As a university student living in a crowded dorm, the university library was the place where I went to read, take notes, draft essays and prepare for exams. Also as a student, one of my many jobs was as “library assistant”, which involved checking out books to patrons and re-shelving returned books to their proper place. After I graduated and became a university lecturer myself, my regular schedule included “library days” spent on teaching preparation and research reading. When I had a child, our family routine for many years involved visits to the children’s and junior sections of our public library, and selecting a week’s worth of books to take home and read.
Another multilingual welcome sign in Hamburg Central Library, saying “Learn German, meet people – for free”
The many places in which I have lived are partly marked in my memory through the library spaces I inhabited at various points in my life. Some, like the school library in my primary school, consisted of nothing more than a little cupboard; others, major university libraries, were multi-storied buildings filled with dimly lit rows upon rows of book shelves – temples to human knowledge and material reminders of the Socratic paradox that I know that I know nothing.
Today, I rarely set foot in a library. I still read a lot, both for work and for pleasure, but I access books and journals remotely via my computer or e-reader. The transformation of libraries from physical to digital repositories has not diminished the privilege as digital access, too, is tied to affiliation.
At the same time, public libraries are some of the last remaining bastions against the privatization of public space. The experience of the 1970s Buenos Aires university student who could not learn about the ways in which colonialism and capitalism had shaped his country without the money to buy the book has not lost its currency. Enjoyment of life’s simple pleasures – sitting back comfortably to chat with friends, enjoy a book, surf the internet or watch the world go – is ever more tied to one’s ability to consume. Even fundamental necessities such as using the toilet have been privatized and may be restricted to those who can pay.
Against this tide of privatization, libraries have been holding out as ever-smaller islands of public space. Today, most patrons no longer turn to libraries (exclusively) for books but in order to enjoy a free and inclusive public space.
How do you use libraries? And what kinds of inclusive and exclusive practices have you encountered in libraries?
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Dear Ingrid,
Thank you very much for your article. I admire you for always maintaining a good habit of going to the library to read and for your working experience in the library, which is what I should learn from. Unfortunately, I do not have experience borrowing books from the library. My use of the university’s online library is mainly to read the required readings for each unit or search assessment-related resources through my student ID. I just borrow the public areas to study or write assessments when I go to the library. The first time I entered a library was at my parents’ workplace library when I was in elementary school. As it was only open to employees of the workplace, they needed to show their work ID to enter the library, but there were no children’s books that I could read. After I went to college, I could access many books online, so I did not go to the library to read print books, even now. The libraries I went to were all open to specific groups. For example, if you want to borrow books from a university library, you must have a student ID card from that university. People outside the school cannot enjoy the resources. This may be the exclusivity of the library. What I can think of more about the inclusivity is bookstores. In many bookstores, even if you do not buy books, you can read an open book. In a large bookstore in my hometown, I often see many students crowding every corner of the bookcase to read books they are interested in until the bookstore closes during holidays. There will be no administrator to drive them away, so I think the inclusivity of the bookstore is reflected in that some opened books are always provided to people of different statuses or classes. Even if they do not have sufficient financial conditions, they do not have to go to many bookstores like the Buenos Aires University student to finish a favorite book.
Thanks, Siyao! You should enroll in your local public library while you are in Sydney – it’s free and I’m sure you’ll have some interesting experiences, even if you only visit once 🙂
For being an avid reader, I do not have much experience going to libraries. As a child I had access to a huge collection of books as reading runs in the family and my uncle was a poet and owned a publishing company. I had more books than the school library, or so it seemed like that to me. Now all of my books are digital as I have gradually become allergic to physical books (it might be dust or bugs, not sure).
The problem with libraries in my country is that almost all of them are filled with curriculum textbooks and very few numbers of recreational books. I remember in college, I used to read Japanese political history volumes during lunch break because those were the most interesting topic to read in the college library full of math, chemistry or botany textbooks.
Hi Saraf, that’s so cool having a family library that’s larger than the school library!
I’m also interested in your point about allergies to library book. Only yesterday, I took a 40-year-old book out of our library (Graff, 1981) and the first thing I noticed when picking it up was that it looked dilapidated, felt grimy, and smelled musty. Really dampened my excitement about reading it …
Graff, H. J. (Ed.) (1981). Literacy and social development in the West: a reader. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Thanks, Ingrid, for sharing this interesting story. It reminds me of my chemistry teacher’s story. He used to be a poor student who couldn’t afford the advanced books for his favourite subject- chemistry. Because at that time, there were very few schools in my city having libraries, so he had to read those books in different bookstores. He said that he used to tear one page of a book as it was too important for him. He said that he felt very guilty and thankful for that book page as it helped him to become a good chemistry teacher now. Along with your story, I realise that many people really need public libraries to get equal access to education.
When thinking about my experience in the libraries, I think that I use them more often when coming to Australia. In Vietnam, I usually buy books as they are not too expensive. I usually highlight and take a lot of notes when reading so I prefer buying them. My father is a book lover and he has bought hundreds of books, so I felt like I don’t need libraries that much ( because the libraries in my city are quite small and do not offer many types of books 🙂 ) However, it’s a different story when I come to Australia. I cannot afford many books so I usually borrow from the MQ library. Even though I cannot take notes or highlight, I still enjoy reading. Some of my coursebooks are not available on e-library, so I have no choice but to go to the library even though it’s quite far from my home. Besides coming to read some books, I also come to the library to do group work or to record videos for my presentations. I love the private pots they students are able to book for private reading or group work. Sometimes, seeing other peers learning so hard also encourages me to study harder 🙂
I showed my parents the MQ library when they visited Sydney last June and they’re shocked as it’s too big when compared to those in my hometown. I told them that my perspective of libraries has changed since I came here and I enjoy them more than ever before.
Thanks, Chloe! So glad you got to show our library to your parents! 🙂
The story of your chemistry teacher is an important reminder that poverty is not only a form of material but also epistemic violence …
Personally, I use libraries to look up references for my studies or to skim literary works for materials in my English lessons. I usually buy books from bookstores for my own personal reading pleasure.
The two libraries I have used most frequently in my life are the high school library where I teach English in Korea and the Macquarie University library.
The library at the high school I worked at not only provides basic book rentals but also runs various programs for high school students. One of the most memorable was a meeting with an author. The students loved the events! The authors varied from a poet to a scientist and a famous comedian. Students were immersed in talking to the author of the book they read. Now I just picture the high school girls cheering and screaming like they were meeting their idols when the author appeared.
When I searched the article in Multi search for the first time, I was amazed at the fact that I could access articles and books online and even download them as PDFs. It is very useful in my studies.
A common exclusivity practice of both libraries is that they only allow access to students and staff who belong to their respective schools. When I found out that Macquarie University allows alumni access, I thought, “Wow! That alone makes my tuition worth it!”
I thought it would be revolutionary if everyone in the world had free access to an online library. With the increasing emphasis on intellectual property rights, this seems not possible. Reading your post, I am so grateful and feel privileged that I have access to the library. Thank you!
Thanks, Logan! Unfortunately, many publishers prohibit the library from granting virtual access to alumni, as we heard during our excursion to the library 🙁
In the early 2000s, I had the opportunity to explore the endless possibilities offered by city and national libraries. However, there was one major obstacle: the arduous journey of pedalling or riding the bus for an hour just to reach the library. It took several years and experiences for me to realize how privileged I had been. In remote areas of Colombia and many countries around the world, libraries, information, and even education are incredibly difficult to obtain. Fortunately, life presented me with an opportunity to learn about the incredible work being done by José Alberto Gutiérrez and his foundation, “The Strength of Words.” Thanks to their incredible support, as well as the support of indigenous and school authorities, colleagues, and allies, we were able to donate hundreds of books to the community of La Chorrera in the Colombian Amazon and their local library.
If you want to delve deeper into José and his inspiring work, I highly recommend the following story written by Angela Burke Kunkel and illustrated by Paola Escobar:
Thanks for sharing and important reminder of what a privilege it is to have access to a good library!
Thank you for the post. Nowadays I must agree that I am the person who only uses libraries for studying purposes, so that I can study in piece and enjoy the quiet surroundings. Of course, university studies require me to use library at some level for the readings but otherwise it is more about using the free and convenient space. All of the small amount of my engagement with books is happening through audiobooks, and I have other channels to listen to them than library. Still, I remember the times when I used to go to the library after school to get books “for fun”. It is kind of fascinating but sad how everything has changed so much during the past years.
It’s also that we use libraries differently at different stages of our lives … maybe you’ll come back to enjoy libraries once you retire 😉
As a kid, I always remember being fascinated by books and libraries. My mom would ensure I always had a few around to explore and spend time with. As a mom with a busy career, she had to take me to her office on occasions and she made sure we visited the library/bookstore on our way so I had enough content throughout my day. However, I was a fast reader even for my age (and probably because of the practice I had since I learned how to read) and would finish my books and re-read them until my mom was ready to go home.
My relationship with books and libraries changed after middle school since I was in a school designed for nurturing academic talents (and merely academic knowledge) and this meant a change in reading and the context of the library for me. Times I visited the library since then were mostly for my studies and not reading for leisure I am afraid. Like most of us these days, I take joy in reading from digital resources since then.
Visiting different library sections last week, specifically the children’s section, brought back so many memories. There is no doubt that I benefit from the convenience of digital libraries in my studies, however, I could benefit further from the leisure of reading physical books in my spare time. Hopefully, with enough practice, my brain will be trained back to enjoy reading for pleasure again and I could find myself spending more time in a library and enjoying this privilege.
Lucky you are not 10 years younger or you would have ended up as an ipad baby! 😉 … seriously, reading with kids and fostering their love of reading is one of the greatest joys of parenthood 🙂
Reading your thoughts made me remember my own youth and the relationship with the library and reading. I also got some flashbacks when we walked through the library. Every summer before the school holidays we used to go to the library and take as many books as we wanted and took them everywhere with us, including to our summer house where we spent almost the whole summer with our family and relatives. Reading books and enjoying the beautiful summer days or hiding in for the rain was something I still remember, where as now instead of a book it is either the phone or a laptop which is a shame. And when we read the books, we went to my grandparent’s attic to find something more – and the smell of those books is just something you will never forget. I am actually a little bit ashamed that I have not been offered that experience to my children, yet at least. Life just feels so busy nowadays but now that I remembered this, I will definitely do my best!
Reading with kids is so much fun! You should go for it 🙂
I have to admit that when I was a bachelor student in Thailand, I barely spent time in the university library. According to I stay at home and the Uni is quite far from my house. I prefer to use my own reading room to study after class in my house. However, recently, I am studying for a Master degree, I have to read a lot, and I recently stayed in an apartment which is much smaller and lacks an internet connection. The university library is the best spot for me to read and finish assessments. Additionally, the facility and the environment of the university library provide me with good vibes to study.
Enjoy the good vibes! 🙂
I have been an avid library user since I was little. I loved visiting the local library and immersing myself in storybooks until I progressed to upper primary school. At high school, I frequently used the library to complete my daily homework while enjoying some extensive reading. It is interesting that I no longer read for pleasure at university level but it is a sanctuary for tackling assignments.
Upon arriving at Macquarie University in Australia, the library took on an even more significant role for me. It became a convenient meeting place for connecting with my fellow students. The bonus of being allowed to eat in the library made it an even more appealing and conducive environment for extended stays.
However, I’ve recently encountered a few cases where some people dominated the library space with their noise. Although the area does not belong to the silence zone, and I didn’t necessarily need complete silence at the time, their loud conversations and laughter in groups seemed excessive. I think they should enjoy their time somewhere else. They have every right to make noise but they should also consider that people around them require a quieter atmosphere for focused work instead of abusing their rights.
Thanks, Pineapplebun! We sadly live in a world that’s increasingly losing the ability to appreciate silence …
You have raised an important observation, Xiyao. During my teaching experience, I encountered some students who faced challenges comprehending short texts and struggled with reading-aloud sentences due to a lack of phonemic awareness. However, their situation improved significantly through regular oral reading exercises combined with phonics practice. While early exposure to language is undeniably helpful in developing reading skills, it is never too late to nurture a reading habit for lifelong learning. Reading doesn’t always involve heavy chaptered books; sometimes, our reading habits develop subconsciously through materials that draw our interest, like blog posts or magazines.
As for your second point, I can’t conclusively explain why some individuals exhibit selfish behavior in public spaces. Nevertheless, in my educational upbringing, we were consistently taught not to take privileges for granted. For instance, if we neglect the cleanliness of shared spaces, such as the library with leftover food or untidy cooking facilities, there is a risk that the library might ultimately remove the microwaves to maintain order and cleanliness.
I think that’s an important life lesson: we should never take privileges for granted and it’s everyone’s responsibility to contribute to the common good.
Hi Pineapplebun, thanks for your comment. It is great to see that you have loved libraries and reading since you were a child. I did not have the opportunity to study in a library until college. The university library is more of a place for me to complete assessments and prepare for exams like you, so my reading time has dropped significantly.
In your comment, I would like to share two points about literacies. First, I often listened to our professor and saw in readings that reading ability is not innate, but it takes time to develop into a proficient reader when studying this unit. This ability is what I lack. As I spent more time on electronic devices when I was young, I missed the opportunity to develop my reading skills, which made me a little afraid of reading and easily distracted now. Fortunately, I found that this problem can be improved through this unit.
Second is the inclusivity of the library. As you mentioned, the library has many uses, not only for studying and reading but also for communicating with friends and enjoying food. However, some students who ignore orders may affect the atmosphere of the library, which I deeply understand. Every time they get noisy I take a look but am too embarrassed to say anything, which is supposed to be the pros and cons of being inclusive in our library. Therefore, I think librarians or other brave students can give appropriate warnings to students who are too noisy.
I absolutely love libraries, mostly because of how quiet they are. I usually go to the Macquarie University library to study. I book quiet rooms for quizzes and at other times I stay in the Silent Zone. I have never borrowed a book from the library though. But in my previous university I used to read books from the library, mostly poems and classic novels.
Nowadays, I use the library, both local and university library, as a learning space because of its atmosphere. I am motivated when I see other people are working hard in the library. Additionally, the libraries provide enough facilities for studying such as tables, chairs, internet, air conditioner, etc. I usually borrow academic books for my assignments in university library, and I buy books for pleasure reading. I want to borrow some books for pleasure reading but I have so many books that I haven’t finished yet. Some libraries provide group learning space where I can have group study or have some chit-chat with my friends. Besides learning and reading activities, sometimes I go to the library to take a nap or watch movies to relax by myself.
Sounds like fun! #LoveLibraries 🤩
I remember borrowing Jules Verne’s novels at the city library back in high school, but then during my bachelor study, libraries could not keep me as a regular user.
These venues were not at fault, though – they are all well designed and organised, with many materials and wonderful study spaces, but could not meet my learning needs. My preference for book-buying, the lack of English-language reference books for my major, no public Wi-Fi, and inconvenient transport gave me less motivation to visit more often. Even if I was lucky to find relevant foreign books, they were ineligible for borrowing home due to their expensive costs (things have improved now with digital libraries available).
But since my master study, the MQU library has been the usual spot for me and fellow students to spend the day (and night) discussing and dealing with our assignments. Although we sometimes feel fed up with ‘this most boring place’ (as our running joke), it remains a place that gives us a sense of social belonging, since we, as international residents, have fewer social circles and spaces to join. We can stay home to do the tasks, but oddly find ourselves going there even on class-free days!
Meeting friends is another great use of the library 🙂
Unfortunately, I have been living my life not related to library not that much so far even though there are a great many opportunities for me to go to library. When I was a junior high school student, I and my family lived near the public library. I used to visit that public library with my friends especially during my exam periods because that public library was equipped with self-study spaces. I have similar experience when I was a university student as well. I used to go to the library to do my assignment and study for the exam and it is happening during my studying master’s degree in Macquarie university now.
I am not that accustomed to read books at the libraries. Even though I like reading books, I usually bought books bookstores as I found great joy in owning books rather than just reading books in library. There is one specific reason, which is that I have unique habits on reading books such as highlighting, underlining and so force. As I moved my place frequently, I realized that owning paperbacks can be a great burden so that recently I love to purchase kindle books or other e-books on my iPad. Even though I am not used to using library services, I still love that relax atmosphere there.
Thanks for sharing! There are obviously many different ways to benefit from and enjoy a public library. I don’t think there is only one “correct” way to use them – regardless how you use your public or university library, it’s a treasure and a privilege.
And so glad you are not writing into library copies. Doing so really is vandalism and a sort of sacrilege. In Australia, primary school students often have special library bags so that any library books they take home won’t get damaged 🙂
In addition to the university library, I often study at Chatswood Library. However, I realized that I paid scant attention to its book collection after the excursion to the university library. Today, I visited the library not to study but to explore books and inclusive practices. Soon after entering the building, I noticed that the library has many books written in Chinese, Korean, and Japanese. I was impressed by many picture books written in such languages, and I thought that the library must be a precious place for Chinese, Korean, and Japanese parents to find books for their children. A librarian I talked to mentioned that my guess was correct, and she added that these books are borrowed by people studying these languages, too. Moreover, she showed me some books written in other languages such as Dutch, Ukrainian, and Polish, and she explained that these books were requested by citizens. I now understand that these inclusive practices are crucial, especially in a highly diverse country.
Great that you discovered such a multilingual picture book collection!
I visited Cabramatta and Bankstown library, both of them also have books in many languages for the local community such as Vietnamese, Mandarin, Laos, Thai, etc. Additionally, they also have many kinds of books for many ages such as fictions and novels for teenagers, self-help books for young adults, manga, magazines and newspapers for elders. I am not sure about other languages, for Vietnamese readers, there are some old school books (design, layout, and language) which talk about Vietnamese history and tradition which are, I think, really approachable for elder readers. Although we need to pay the membership to borrow the books, it is great that all the public libraries are free access so that all the people can come in an enjoy the books in the library.
Hi Brownie, membership of these public libraries is free …
oh that’s great!!! Thank you for correcting. That consolidates how important reading is, isn’t it!
Since I wrote the post in September, I have been thinking about the library at the school where I worked in Japan. When I started to work in 2017, there were some English books available for extensive reading. However, they were outdated and it seemed that not many students borrowed them. My colleagues and I requested our librarian to buy new books, and she was happy to purchase more than 200 graded readers. Importantly, one of my colleagues had a supplementary class to teach students how to read them and they started to compete in terms of the words they read.
This personal experience is linked to a class in Week 10 when I learned that schools are not good at language teaching and we need to look for other ways to learn languages. School libraries should be the most accessible library to students, and teachers should seek ways to utilize them to enhance language learning beyond the classroom. As my coworker did, it is also crucial for teachers to teach students how to learn while motivating them. This is how precious resources in the library become affordance for them.
Thanks for sharing your experience, Japanda! Great you could convince your school library to purchase all those graded readers. Even if are told not to judge a book by its cover, attractive appearance matters to attract readers …
I use the libraries in both ways, online and offline, but the purpose of this is to study by getting motivated by other people, rather than to read books for pleasure or join some interesting programs. I wish I could know how to utilise the library beyond reading when I was younger. Not only could I improve my literacy there, but also there would be various programs that can make my insight broader, contemplate, and socialise with people, such as book exchange, reading discussion and so forth. Unfortunately, for me, the library had been recognised as just the place to study, or sometimes borrow books before I came to Australia and visited the libraries around me. I was attracted to the designs of the buildings, many novel programs, and above all, it is the place to meet people to socialise. That was when I found out that the library can be a great rendezvous for people to deeply think and talk by sharing the books they read.
Thank you for your interesting article!
Thanks, Jaehoon, for sharing your discoveries. Better late than never, as they say – enjoy! ☺️
According to John Dunne Aristotle valued the life of contemplation, and what better place to do that than a library. Although I rarely step foot in a library, I read quite often on my device and I have a lot of books on my “waiting list”. I have this habit that if I like some writer, I will go and read all of their work (or at least try) to full my curiosity and to know more about how did they come up with those ideas or what exactly is going on in their head. I also have this habit of reading long blogs, threads and posts. To be honest, I feel so guilty regardless of excuses on why I don’t go to a library. I shouldn’t consider myself from the elite of the community if I haven’t used the services of my local library. I have a lot of thinking to do.
Enjoy your reading wherever it takes place! Reading books on your device in some comfy spot also sounds like fun!
It is true that studying in libraries has a lot of advantages. From my own experiences, it provides me with a perfect atmosphere for learning. I often go to the library when I am stressed out of assignments. There are fewer distractions, and the library is a social place where I can make friends and ask for help. An ideal idea is sitting in the library to learn a foreign language during the 40-degree-census summer days. That’s what I did when I prepared for my IELTS test 3 years ago. I remember that I rode on my bike to the Strathfield library every day to enjoy the air-con while doing IELTS reading tests. I often go to the library to print documents such as assessment instructions, lecture slides, and paperwork. The self-printing service there gave me an opportunity to learn various skills, such as using technology and self-management. In the past, when I was in primary school, I often went to the library to borrow books and sometimes read books there as well. An interesting quote that made me contemplate is, “I have found the most valuable thing in my wallet is my library card” by Laura Bush. Now, as a busy university student (with a 9-month-old boy), I do not have much time to go to the library to read books or self-study. Hopefully, in the near future, I can take my child to some kid-friendly libraries.
Thanks, Lynn – aircon is definitely another important benefit of libraries 😉
Taking little kids to the library can be one of the greatest joys in life ☺️ – hope you’ll get to enjoy it with your son!
I have to say, I haven’t set foot in a library in a long time. I only use online libraries nowadays (especially since moving back to New Caledonia) such as the Macquarie online library where I am able to find an abondance of research papers to help me with my studies. However, when I was studying in Melbourne, I used to borrow books all the time. I really enjoyed spending time in libraries. I remember thinking these places are so well-organised and peaceful. I particularly enjoyed booking private rooms so I could work on group projects with my classmates.
Thanks, Laura! It’s the same for me – still I wonder how we can introduce the next generation to book reading, contemplation, and the sense of knowledge communities that only libraries can give?
I enjoyed going to the library the most when I was in high school. The public institution where I studied had a very limited collection, but I appreciated that it had a number of options for reading for pleasure. I spent much of my after-class time in exploring fiction and non-fiction reading materials that were not required. My university library experience was a lot different since going to that multi-storey haven then would mean finishing a term paper, preparing for a report, or reviewing for an exam. But those were memorable experiences too! Now, as a teacher, I’m quite saddened that seldom do my learners visit the school library (some even barely know that such exists). Most of them prefer the easier way for their supplementary learning needs, that is browsing the Internet. While I have nothing against the convenience and extensiveness of information that can be shared online (very much like what I’m doing now), I still look forward to that day when learners would physically gather again in a public space for reading. More importantly, I hope that they would avail of and make the most out of the opportunity to learn through reading materials – whether physical or digital – for up to this day and age, I know that not everybody affords the same gift.
In the summer holidays, my parents would get library subscriptions for my sister and me. I used to absolutely love those weekly trips to the library. It has since become rare that I go to libraries to just hang out and read, but I recently was at a public library close to my house and saw a group of children sitting around a man who was reading to them and also had a guitar with him to play a little music for the kids. I did end up spending some extra time at the library that day. I think it is a great way to keep the interest of young children through such fun activities at libraries.
From primary school, once a week we would spend an hour in the school library reading a book of our choice. We then got to take the book home and bring it back the following week. The book had to returned in the same condition as it was taken. Silently reading a book took me to another place for a little while during school hours, which was a good place to be. The library near my home didn’t have a place to sit and read which meant I could only pick up books i wanted to read and take them back with me. As a university student here in Sydney, the libraries are amazing. I could spend an eternity in them. They are comfortable and well stocked in comparison to the ones back home. They allow for individual work in silent spaces or group discussion where you can book a spot. You can prep for presentations as well as study together. The cafe means you can get charged when you’re down on energy with a coffee – which is definitely required sometimes.
I think the library is an essential instrument for developing desirable study habits in students. It promotes individual and group learning helps in developing students’ vocabulary, enhancing comprehension, developing the habit of silent reading and developing problem-solving attitudes among students. When I study English, the library is the most ideal learning space for me to learn this foreign language. Libraries provide me with the opportunity to immerse myself in the new language, whether it be through periodicals, books, audiobooks, or resources online. Many libraries also offer multilingual books for adults and children that are designed to help new English learners master the language in a fun and engaging way.
Library is one of the best places the world to work, to study (and to play video games). I really enjoy the absolute silence when everyone focuses in their own business. There would be some embedded competitions between people in the library where I use to study in. If people sitting next to me concentrate on their work and almost finish it, how I can be supposed to be out of track of my work.
Library used to be my whole world as I was a primary-school kid. Back then, when I still remember how excited I was waiting for the break time to be able to come to the library. I love library simply because I love books. Reading truly does satisfy my curiosity for everything in this life. Books had become my friends then my teachers. They raised in me beautiful feelings and emotions then taught me things that I might have never encounter in classroom. Apart from that, I found the library ways to cultivate my love for books since book reading and borrowing can be done with no charge while it could be costly and unaffordable for me at that time for getting a book from a certain bookstore.
I had no library experience in my school days. In my hometown, a high school had recently established; people were becoming aware of the significance of education. Due to ignorance, economic scarcity, geographic remoteness, and political instability, the educational development of the villages like ours was in dire condition at that time. Approximately 30 % of our villagers were literate, but still, they did not have any recognizable book reading culture; books were expensive and even rarely available in those remote villages.
But after the re-establishment of the democracy, the educational development of Nepal speeded up. Now, each school of our village does have its own respective well-stocked library built and operated in the financial donation of an international organization ‘Room to Read’. This organization provides thousands of nationally and internationally reputed books (fiction and non-fiction) to each library along with the resourceful training to the librarians.
As for me, after the completion of my School level education, I went to the capital of Nepal-Kathmandu for higher education. Fortunately, one of my classmates was an avid book reader; in his company I knew a number of public libraries in Kathmandu. Slowly and gradually I became an intoxicated book reader. In one phase I left to go to campus and spent whole days in the library. I was far from home; nobody was there to interfere with me. Whenever my father and mother called me, I used to tell them that I had attended campus classes regularly. But in reality, delving into the ocean of imagination and intellectual elixir provided by different books was really fantastic to me rather than the lackadaisical and monotonous lectures. Still, I passed all the subjects of my Bachelor’s degree satisfactorily.
In these days, I am experiencing the grandeur ambiance of the Macquarie Library of Macquarie University. Initially, I felt so difficult to be used to have access up to digitalized reading materials but I have been successfully coping with this problem. It’s amazing that each corner of this library is learner-friendly-peaceful, comfortable, and motivational.
Thank you, Rajendra, for this vivid post!
In fact in my childhood there was no library in school and in community. After few year our village committee opened a library of religious books. The first book I read in library was ‘Mahabharata’ when I was i class eight. But till my high school study there was no library culture. When I enrolled in bachelor level then my library visit was increased. I read many novels, history books in college library and read many religious book in city library. When I enter in library my mind fill with peace and I enjoy the library reading. In Nepal there is no exclusion in library reading everybody has equal access in library.
Honestly speaking, library does not have special meaning to me. Neither my parents nor teachers have told me the value and the significance of libraries. The only place that I can have a gripping read is classrooms and my bedroom. I do not think I can read intently in public libraries until now. As for me, buying books is the only reason why I go to libraries. As the development of the Internet technology, libraries have gradually become places where people can have a rest for free. Maybe I can have a try to read and study in the library and be absorbed in the sea of all kinds of knowledge.
Personally, I prefer reading on the paper to reading on the screen. This is because the traditional books bring me more sense of ceremony of reading. So that I am glad to looking for each library or book shop. Moreover, I really would like to recommend that the library will provide you a comfortable environment for reading in terms of convenient facilities, a wide range of materials and a brunch of enthusiasts.
Last but not the least is that you are able to enjoy your individual time when you are reading without any interruption.
Reading is necessary for everyone and library provides access for people who do not have access online. For me, library is a place where i can study independently and relax by myself. After coming to Australia, library is the place where i stay for a long time, not only for studying, but also i enjoy the feeling. In fact, i think library is a symbol of knowledge. Although there are many journals or materials online, we can still find many collected books which cannot found online, such as printing books. Moreover, library also creates an atmosphere for people to study, especially for young children.
To be honest, library is a place for me to enjoy. At first, I went to the public library because I want to find a place to be alone without being embarrassed or disturbed. Library is a place where I escaped from my troubles during adolescence. When I went to the university, library becomes a place which can provide a positive learning environment and immerse me in learning. University’s library is always crowed especially during exam month and I always study with my friends in the library during that time. It is an effective method for me to learn. Nowadays, I often access reading materials and books from the online library. I think it is more convenient and easy to keep them.
When I was in a high school, I did not like to go to the libraries at all. Also, I was not like reading. However, I started to spend time at the libraries and read in my B.A. degree because I have to. Then, I started to read novels and psychology books.
Nowadays, I spend more than three hours every day at the library. I usually take my little brothers to the kids section to read because I want them to love reading.
The recent time that I was shocked by people’s enthusiasm for library was last year, when I prepared my IELTS test in China. It was a district library nearby my residence. I was shocked when I saw a crowd of people, including many children on an early Sunday morning in the library as I thought more and more people tend to read EBook or buy books and read at home. To my surprise, people read quietly at the corner or in the reading area, or many read or study in the self-study room. I think library is a place that people can calm down and concentrate on what they read, setting aside life trivials and avoiding distractions. More importantly, I think reading in library can build up a connection between knowledge and human beings, inspiring awe for talent and wisdom.
As recounted in this story, I used to read books in a bookstore while I was pretending to browse books. Not similarly in the story, I usually would get the key ideas in a books (didn’t read the whole book), in particulary self-development books. As I am fond of reading books, library has been one of my favorite places to study. In the library I can concentrate on my study the most, and other students focusing on the study encourage me to study when I feel lethargic or sleepy. When I was in a high school, I didn’t want other students notice I spend quite much time in the library, because there was a wrong stereotype that studying a lot was not good. However, now I have realized that reading a lot is constructive and fruitful way to spend time as I have matured enough to get what is good or bad even when there’s wrong understanding among the mass. Also, e-books have become popular nowdays, i find that they cannot repace real books fully. In short, I think that reading is beautiful and indispensable to get educated. 🙂
Public libraries were once quiet places of solitude. Not even a subtle whisper could be heard. From a toddler to a young adult my Mother made taking a trip to the library a significant act. Sometimes it was like a religious act and other times it was like going on a holiday together. Getting a stamp in a library book felt like the equivalent to getting a stamp in a passport. It was our ticket to freedom of knowledge.
We would dress up by putting on our best clothes because my Mother taught me that libraries were a place to be highly respected. She would monitor every book I chose before borrowing it. If she didn’t like the chosen book she would hurriedly gesture me to put it back on the exact shelf I found it.
By the early 1990s Australia became crippled by a recession. It wasn’t a recession we all voted for in a referendum. But during a famous political speech it was a “Recession we all had to have” and that was that. To suffer an economic recession is to be denied access to the very foundation of life’s necessities. Money was hard to come by. The public library was the only place of refuge. It too was suffering under the strain of little money. Newspapers, some out-dated magazines and old, worn history books were the only way to feel included in an other wise divided society of the haves and the have-nots.
Nowadays the small city I live in has a new public library. The Victorian State Government spent over twenty million dollars constructing it only five years ago. I view it as a tribute to the hardship days. I don’t despise the humble beginnings. I’m forever grateful to have access to it. And every time I walk past the old library I am reminded of those journeys that jolted me out of the dreadful economic moment and transported me momentarily to other worlds through books.
To have access to online libraries such as the Macquarie University library is a privilege that I will never take for granted.
To be frank, it was only recently that I can say I fall in love with the solitude a library offers, probably around 2017. I remember that I read one memorable novel titled ‘Amba’ set in 1960s’ Indonesia where the communist party and government were in dispute. Amba, a young literature student, who lost his lover finally had a chance to visit Buru Island where her former lover was imprisoned and found dearly letters written for her buried under a tree. It was the first time I felt that I finally share something in common with a female character; living in a soul of poetry. Therefore, I can say that library has introduced me to a new friend and I am grateful for that.
Library is my all-time favorite place to be at since an early stage. My first access to a library was during primary school years. My friends and I would drop by the school library for a few kids’ comic books and sit on a bench under the hot weather to read them in recess. Growing up a bit more, my friend introduced me to a public library of our local town, and soon enough, I fell in love with the place. I got accessed to a larger collection of different types of books. That was when I started reading novels which had brought to imaginary worlds in far-away lands and taught me great moral lessons. As a result, coming to the library, enjoying a book with the cool breezes had become my weekly routine throughout secondary and high school years.
Now as a postgraduate student in Australia, one of my hobby is “hunting” all the public libraries in my local suburbs. I am truly amazed and deeply immersed in the diversity of books each library offers. The facilities are well-equipped as well which makes the reading experience enjoyable.
To me, libraries are not just a great way to affiliate people of all ages and social status to access to human’s intelligence, but also a fantastic place to connect us together in a mean of sharing knowledge and social inclusion.
Hello everyone!
To be honest, I have a strong feeling towards the injustice of unequal access to knowledge, so I cherish every moment I can take from the library. Back when I was in college, I always spent my free time in the university library. Some books are extremely expensive. What I did was borrowing some books from the library and made a copy or scanned it at home. At the end of my university life, I have a decent amount of book collection, and it is my small library.
Another experience that I really want to share was when I was working in the library in France. My job responsibility was a researcher which specifically helped them to analyze Thai books and categorized them. All books are pretty old and some were written in the early 18th century. The library got those books when the conflict took place between France and Thailand in 1893. some of them I don’t even know we still have a copy in Thailand or not. One side of the coin, I’m sure that the library will get the maximum value from those books, but it’s sad that Thai people don’t have a chance to read them or even have the access to them anymore.
I do love staying in the library for study as everyone in there is working hard with their stuff. It is a peaceful and quiet place for me to focus on my own study. I have read a piece of news about a construction worker who sat down at the library corner to read books because he thought he was smelly and dirty. He is such kind-hearted and motivated person. I have known that some libraries do have the shower rooms for the people to get refresh and go back to their work. I thing that kind of facility is really good and inclusive for the people so that the man I mentioned before can sit on the chair rather than sitting at the corner.
To be honest, I didn’t like libraries as a child. Throughout my life, I always lived in a small town so the number of books was limited in my nearest library. This was also the case when I was in high school. My school library had less than 200 books. However, my impression of the library changed when I became a university student. My university library had 12 floors with more than 5000 books. As a student, I was able to improve my academic skills because I read much more academic articles and books about many different fields. Now, I use the university library search engine to find my academic papers but I haven’t visited a library for a long time since my nearest library is more than five stations away from my house.
I spent much time on library when I was a child. In library, I had access to storybooks, and I started to learn basic knowledge about life, nature, and school courses. As e-books developed fast, the number of people who go to library reduces, but it cannot shake the position of library as it is a cultural symbol, and people still need to go to library for some books – they are only accessible in library.
Being from South America I can relate to this character and see the problem as both a socioeconomic and a public space one. I am fortunate to live in Australia now and have access to all the wonderful facilities at one’s disposal. To me, the public library is still a symbol of equality between members of society. It is an extension of one’s intellectual space where certain behaviour by participants is expected and respected. An important aspect of community which is slowly being replaced by technology like virtual reality. I find solace and inspiration amongst so many words on the shelves which encourages me to study. I have only found inclusivity in libraries and fortunately, have not encountered the opposite.
Although I’m a bookaholic, libraries have never really been my usual haunt. Back in my elementary and middle school days, I would devour all the science, biology, and geography books my father gave me (deep gratitude to him!); they instilled in me the love for reading and knowledge. Later on, I took up an avid interests in English books but such publications were (and still are) quite a luxury in Vietnam, where I’m from, and e-books and the internet were not a thing back then. I was very lucky to find a sanctuary for my expensive hobby in my uncle’s house where bookshelves were full of foreign books and magazines. Each trip to his place was a miracle to me as I would spend hours perusing and imagining, taking myself on journeys through space and time through different perspectives.
Now, as a postgrad student, I spend much of my time reading academic materials, a lot of which, I’ll admit, are particularly dense and challenging for me. Alas, reading is not much of a pleasure these days because of this. Please don’t take me wrong, though! My bibliophilia has never died (and never will), nothing gives me more wonderful joy than snuggling with a book of my choice, just not mind-numbing materials — probably I’m not that intellectually capable (yet).
The library is an important resource for students. Firstly, in libraries, the books which are related to the students’ major provide help students to consolidate and expand students’ knowledge which is learned by these students in the classroom. In addition, after years of accumulation, many libraries especially the universities’ libraries already have different kinds of books in different areas. These books provide a convenient condition for students to broaden their horizons. Finally, with the development of network technology and digital technology, electronic libraries have been becoming more and more popular in our daily life. These libraries not only provide a large collection of books, but also break many of the constraints of reading and studying such as geography, distance, and so on. More and more students and researchers also benefit from these libraries.
To be honest, library is not my favourite place. I hardly went to the library to read books. There are two reasons why I was not keen on setting foot in the library. The first reason is I don’t like quiet space because I am a person who are interested in discussing with my friends. You know, libraries in my hometown does not allow people to make noises, so it will be boring when at the library; moreover, whenever I read books, I often read by my mouth. Therefore, I will make other people who like peaceful atmosphere angry with me. And the second reason is there were not many interesting books that attracted me. Because I didn’t have much money to buy good books at the bookstore, I often read books on the Internet or I bought old books with affordable price or I go to hire books at the hiring bookstore.
I suppose that the role of libraries has not ever eroded over the time. I know people nowadays have various method of accessing to reading through multimedia, typically smartphones and tablets or computers, but we can not find anywhere rather than libraries where selected information is directly introduced to community. I agreed that we can automatically select what we read through smartphones’ screens, but the biggest challenge is we are facing with overloading information we receive through many technological we exposure every second and this can cause distraction. People say technology help to save time like the amount of time spending on moving to libraries, but unconsciously people spend many folds of time to surf the Internet with frivolous information making distraction. Therefore, library is something not overloaded in presenting selected information. Before letting children read through screens of technology devices, it is better to encourage them come to local libraries where historic values still exist. Interactions between people and books in real lives are far more superior to sit and think of something unreal in the Internet. At least when children come to libraries, they will raise the questions why library comes to our life and try to discover a thick history story about it and relating things. In the past, when I first read a book, a new horizon of knowledge opens to my eyes and my mind. A library also shows knowledge of community when people should keep silence as a way to show how they respect others’ private corners and interactions among people in a society. Once again, we should aware that we are living in communities, not live behind the screens’ lives.
Honestly, during my school years, library was not my favorite place to read books as there were many textbooks that I usually got bored of. I only visited there to use the computer when needed. I preferred having my own books to read at home where I feel more relaxed and comfortable. Therefore I often went to the bookstore to find books of my favorite authors or looked for some other different genres of books to read the first few pages then decided whether to buy or not. Another reason that I rarely came to libraries is there is not any public one near my area, and my university library often closed early at 4 or 5pm when I did not even finish my classes yet.
Hi everyone,
In the past, I did not use the library for studying or research for books or articles for writing assignment or something like this. I used to borrow novels and plays in Arabic or English to read it. However, nowadays after I start my postgraduate, I used to visit the library four or five times a week. I just now recognize the important of the library. I like Macquarie university library, because it is opened for everyone the students and public in contrast with the library of some other universities, which are exclusive only for their students
As a young girl who, unfortunately, and abashedly, grew up with little to her name, school libraries became a source of solitude for me. Enclosed within the safety and comfort of a library I could delve into books filled with adventure, mystery, and blessedly, escape. This appreciation of what a library offered me through my school years, never weaned, and undoubtedly, shaped my love of knowledge which I like to believe, helped define me and dictate the course I am now. Yet, even now, as I pride myself on being empathetic to the plight of others, I sometimes lose sight of how privileged I was (and still am) to enjoy the level of access I have to knowledge and the books that contain them. A library for me was not only a place of liberation from my impoverished reality as a child but somewhere I could find like-minded children and all too eager librarians ready to hand me my next novel.
It was not until I was much older, did I realize I had discovered something precious, something normally unattainable in the modern world: acceptance. In the western world, where sacred public spaces like libraries, are dwindling, where social media and the knowledge it contains are infinitely expansive and trivial, we have seen not only a lack of appreciation for the accessibility of knowledge but a lack of attainability by those infinitely less privileged. While the modern world preaches exclusivity, libraries and the spaces they occupy are becoming increasingly more inclusive. Not only are they becoming harder to find in communities, but more expensive to join, with monthly fees tacked on, and the access to academic material more difficult to procure and far more expensive to attain. While this situation is worsening, what seems to be growing is the apathetic response from the public. Interestingly enough, this too motivates me to ponder the Socratic paradox, but in a fearfully different way. “I know that I know nothing”, unfortunately, the world is becoming increasingly comfortable with not only knowing nothing but unwilling to do something about it.
Hi Ingrid. I remember both my high school and university are equipped with a well-stocked library. Despite this, I rarely went to the library. Firstly, I often go to bookstores where if I find a book that I’m really interested in and want to read it carefully, I would buy and take it home. This is because for me, I prefer reading at home. Home is an environment where always quiet enough and safe, and I don’t need to care about my sitting posture while reading. Secondly, although most Chinese students have a habit of studying in library, I personally feel it is not efficient to study in the library because it is not always quiet there. If someone around me starts talking, I’m likely to be interrupted. So I usually study at home.
Last week, I discussed how a significant part of my childhood was spent in the depths of the library, and how it was in that space, searching the old-school card catalogues, that my love of knowledge and researching was first born.
Despite this time being a defining moment of my childhood, it is not something that my children really got to experience. I grew up in a time where if you (or your parents) didn’t know the answer to a question, you needed to ride a bicycle to the public library and carefully locate a book which might—or might not—tell you the answer. My kids grew up being able to have instantaneous and ubiquitous access to knowledge only a Google away. While I would lug books back and forth to the library each week, choosing books only from what was available on the shelves or waiting impatiently for requested items to be recalled, my kids could immediately download any book in the world to their Kindles with only a click of a button and my credit card. My kids might not have had my childhood experience of libraries, but they had my experience of nurturing a love of books—albeit in a technological space, rather than a traditional bricks-and-mortar public one.
Do libraries still have a role to play when the boundaries of their roles in people’s life are less defined than they once were? Of course, possibly more so. In a world where the saturation of knowledge is profound, librarians offer a way for people to learn how to navigate a variety of knowledge spaces successfully, including online ones. They offer a place where people who might be excluded from accessing these spaces—such as people with disabilities, EALD speakers, the elderly, or those who cannot afford the prohibitive costs of connectivity—might be able to have both the hardware and help that allows them to access knowledge. As our knowledges become more and more online, it is important that libraries continue to offer a democratic space which does not allow for the full commodification of knowledge behind paywalls, only accessible to a privileged few.
The story in this article particularly resonated with me as I am originally from Buenos Aires. It made me wonder who this student was and why he couldn’t get access to a copy of this so sought-after book in a local library.
I go to the library quite often to read or get work done, particularly I enjoy going to my local library in Mosman. I find the quintessential quiet atmosphere of libraries relaxing in a world that never stops. Worth of noting is the ritual I have with my 3-year-old son, when each Thursday we attend “story time” at our local library. I find these encounters community orientated and a space where early literacy and friends converge. I have actually read stories in Spanish for the little crowd for Harmony day.
Also, utilize the local library as a source of multilingual books for my son; you can order a box of books in several languages (which is sourced from the Chatswood library). I find this service an inclusive practice, since I believe that access to early literacy should also be afforded to minority languages as well.
Hi Ingrid,
Personally speaking, a library is the most ideal place for me to ‘recharge’ my motivation for learnings of any kinds because of the following reasons. First and foremost, I feel connected to the community of students owing to the fact that there are a number of students in the library, which is the learning space that allows me to interact or to share perspectives, values, thoughts with other students, for example. In addition, rows of displayed books inspire me to study harder to write books so that they could be placed book shelves. Furthermore, reading these hard-copy books in the library is better than e-books in the sense that my eyes are not able to function well for a long time of reading whenever I read books in digital devices. To summarise, I use the library as a medium to connect with my communities and to read ‘real’ books.
To define the term inclusive and exclusive practices in libraries according to my own viewpoint, the typical library , namely, Macquarie University library, my current library, has public space which allows all people – no matter if they are Macquarie students or not- to use the library facilities such as books, tables, chairs, or bathrooms , which is called inclusive practices. On the other hand, the library also has exclusive practices like borrowing books or printed materials which exclude non-Macquarie students from the community of Macquarie ‘people’- students, teaching staffs and other employees. With respect to my frequent inclusive practices, I usually use the library learning space (tables and chairs) to self-study, use the water fountain to refill my bottle of water, and use the library bathrooms. As for the exclusive practice, I often use the my student ID card to borrow printed books for studying at home.
I am a person who likes to read since I was a child. My favorite thing when I was in elementary school was to go to a place called Xinzhi Library to read books. To be precise, it is not a library, but a big bookstore. When I was a child, there was actually not much choice for books, because my parents thought that novels, poems, and prose books would not improve my academic performance. They prefer to do papers at home or go to cram school. Because of this, when I was young, I didn’t have any money to buy books, and more often I went to the bookstore to read books. The time to read a book is always fast, and the process of reading is always pleasant. However, many books are not available for an hour or two or an afternoon. Sometimes I will divide into the same book for several days. But this raises another question: the books in the bookstore will be bought. So I have a lot of books that I only watched half. Now I have rarely gone to the library to read books, because gradually paper books have been replaced by e-books. Even if you want to read paper books, most of them are purchased online. Fortunately, this habit of reading has been preserved.
I’ve enjoyed spending time in the libraries since I was 5. During primary ages, my parents were usually busy at work and we didn’t have many safe and interesting places to go after school, so I would stay in the library near my school before dinner time in order to read stories or encyclopedia which included pictures and words. After being an undergraduate student, I spent less time than before in the libraries because of social events; however, I still put myself in the library to study and watch English movies. Although technologies change the ways we study and bring convenience into our lives, I still prefer turning pages with real books while I am reading in casual.
I believe a library brings together a community. When I see someone in the library, I know they’re here for a specific reason be it to learn or to simply escape from the real world. I haven’t visited the local library or the university library in a while because I mainly browse or read online. This makes me reflect on how reading culture has changed and I certainly do miss going to the library now. There is something about picking up a book, exploring the front cover and consuming the scent of paper the pages give off when you flip through. That is something you miss out on when you browse books digitally. If I have to recall, the last time I went to the local library was to gain more knowledge about my field of Linguistics. No one asked me to do that, I just really wanted to be included in the linguistic society. I will make it my goal to visit the local library at least once a week to ensure some books on the shelf don’t feel left out!
A remark that was of particular importance to me was that of taking your child to the library and collecting a range of books for the week to take home. Growing up with extremely academically driven parents, this too was a routine for me from a young age, and I of course have to attribute my love of being in a library, as well as my love of getting lost in a good read, to this experience. I still use libraries to catch up on my reading or assignments, and to browse through old books to find inspiration. It is seemingly becoming more of a norm to read and access books online, or digitally. However, although this ‘trend’ is increasing in popularity, I really do prefer the process of going to the library, borrowing a book, and flipping through the pages. These books all have a unique history, a ‘life’, and I find that quite wonderful. I don’t think that will ever change for me.
Currently, as an external student, I don’t use any libraries but I do I access the digital library website often for study purposes. However, I remember when I was in high school and in my early days as a full-time university student I would often visit the local public library or university library to study for exams and work on assignments. I found that the library atmosphere, with people here and there quietly and diligently reading and working on assignments, was a really nice and motivating space to study and access knowledge, and lacked the distractions of my home (TV, computer, etc).
These days I rarely enter libraries, but value them as public spaces that anyone can enter and indulge in a book that might serve their interests. Compared to digital archives public libraries might seem quite antiquated, but as a physical space where you can enter free-of-charge and appreciate an environment dedicated to literature and knowledge acquisition with other like-minded people, I hope they always have a place in the ever modernizing world. Additionally, despite the gradual digitalization of literature, I appreciate libraries as places that house and provide real books; I find that holding and reading an actual hardcover book feels more substantial and satisfying than when I read one off of a tablet screen, and is much easier on the eyes.
Frankly speaking, never had I gone to the libraries for study or reading pleasure before I became an undergraduate student. This does not means that I am not keen on reading, but that my schools’ libraries were inadequate in terms of books, space and book genres.
However, since I started studying at university, libraries have become an ideal place for me to browse subject-related materials. In the past, as an undergraduate students, I usually went to the libraries for self-study or group work. At the moment, as a postgraduate student, I often drop by the library whenever I am in need of materials for assignments or group study. However, I hardly borrow books from the libraries. Instead, I can find the digital copies of such books on the Internet and rather read them either at the libraries, on the train, or at home. About reading for pleasure, I often go online and download digital books and read them on my laptop.
I believe that technological advancement is changing the way people use libraries as well as the way they access books.
When I was a child, my parents did not have time to take me to bookstores to buy books. Also because at that time, there was hardly a library near my house. Therefore, I did not have an interest in reading since I was young. When I entered university, I gradually realized that reading is a very good habit to attain knowledge. I started to force myself to read by going to the university library, trying to find some books that seemed interesting. However, it was so difficult to find a book that can keep me awake in a few pages. It was sad but true that I did not make the most out of the university library. However, the university library was such a nice place to study, prepare for exams and doing group assignments. The library in Macquarie uni now is so gigantic, many wonderful books could be found there. Hopefully, this time I can make good use of it.
We can easily use phones and computers to obtain news and read books anytime and anywhere though on the train or bus. I rarely go to the library as it is hard to find empty tables to study and I only go there for borrowing books when I could not access to electronic books. I also go the library when I need to find a group learning space for completing group assignments. I prefer to study at home where I can easily get a quiet and private space to attentively study that is more convenient for me.
The word “library” has never become part of my favorite place although I am really fond of reading books. I enjoy my own private spaces to enjoy the characters’ journey, to experience new knowledge rather than go to a crowded place. Additionally, I have a huge passion for books and want to use my own one, I love the smell of wood, of new papers, of the cover of a new book. It is really rare for me to borrow a public’s book and thinking about other hands which have touched the book for a long time.
And if I want to read a book, I will earn money and buy it and have it on my own. I have a huge bookshelf at home which I use to keep my treasure, it full of sci-fi, fiction and other genres of books.
I used to think that I would never set my foot in any library due to my lack of interest in books. Fortunately, the table has turned when a wise teacher told me how the library and books could change my life. I didn’t believe in any words he said until I put myself into a corner of my uni’s library. It was heaven to be – a place full of silence and peace. Since then, I have spent most of my working and studying time in the library. I did all kinds of stuff there from preparing for new lessons to writing silly stories about my life. I also read non-function books recommended by my teacher. That was the only place where I could find my inner peace.
As a little child, my dad drove me to the local library every weekend since there were not that many places of interest back then. And my dad knew that I was such an introverted person who always hid myself in my own room. My first time there, indeed, turned my life into a new chapter. I loved wandering around the bookshelves, scanning books (even the weighty tomes) until something interesting caught my eye. I had never caught sight of such a vast world of book in my life.
My love for libraries has never ended. I still keep the habit of hiding myself at the corner of libraries. I often link the image of my university’s library to one safe haven where I could enjoy the feeling of being independent and of being surrounded by quietness and peace. To be honest, sometimes, I visit libaries just for one purpose, which is watching people get engaged into their personal project. That image really motivates me to study harder.
As we may know, the advent of the internet and technology leads to the recent transformation of traditional libraries to digital ones. For some I know, they like accessing the world of knowledge from home. Meanwhile, others, including me, prefer to step into a libary and swallow books. This experience is totally different and rewarding (I think).
When I was young, I rarely went to libraries because those that were located in my schools were often small and stuffy. There were shelves of old books with unattractive looking. The staff in there seemed to be unfriendly and easily-annoyed. These elements made me feel stressful when sitting inside those libraries, therefore, I usually preferred to read at home or at a book cafe. It was not until I came to Macquarie University that I started to go to the library more as now I have access to a modern and well-equipped space. I usually come to the library when I want to focus on studying. Even during the break weeks, I and my friend would go to library to do some self-study on the topics of our interest. While the design of this library has been able to attract students who want to study intensively, I don’t think that it has been able to include people into the act of pleasure reading. There is only a small space for newspapers or magazines; there aren’t any booths or areas where people could sit comfortably, or even lie down, to enjoy the books. It excludes students who want to read frequently for pleasure and only accommodate those who would read for school works.
Whenever I see the word “library”, I think about the professors, researchers, post-graduate students and bookworms. I rarely go to the library although I know it is an ideal place to study. If I need a book for my study or research, I try to find e-books on the online library. If it is not available for online access, I usually borrow it and take it home. What I prefer is staying at home alone in a quiet space to enjoy reading books in an eccentric style (lying on the bed or walking around with reading books aloud) which I cannot do at the library.
Personally, I didn’t go to the library until I entered my undergraduate years. However, when I was younger, I enjoyed having a walk between the aisles in the bookstores to browse for books. I guess the libraries in my schools and in my city were ignored by mostly people because, as I remember, we weren’t encouraged to do so.
Being an undergraduate student with lots of readings and essays, I had no choices but visited my university’s library to study. I came exclusively for self-learning and doing group projects. I gradually became fond of going to the library, and I ended up visiting it everyday.
At the moment, I regularly come to the public library near my place to study. I witness some people coming there not for enjoying a book but securing a quiet private space to watch a movie or do something with their phones. I’m quite against this, because the children who come for books will think that those activities are norms at the library, and they may develop wrong assumptions about this beautiful place.
My life is full of memories of going to libraries. I remember in grade two of primary school, I spent most lunch times in the school library, trying to read all the Mr. Men and Little Miss series. Back in the days when the internet was not available, libraries taught me how to research and use information skills. A short walk to the local library enabled me to borrow books for assignments or I could look up anything in the encyclopedias. Being an Australian, this article reminds me of how privilged I am to have free access to such public spaces. (It has also brought to my attention how old I am getting, as we now have Wikipedias!) Unlike the boy in the article who did not have similar priviledges, it is a pity that in recent times, fewer people are using libraries. Fewer people are also purchasing hardcopy books and newspapers. I can’t remember the last time I saw someone reading a newspaper. A few years back, that’s all people did on trains! Although research nowadays has changed and we no longer have to physically access information, I still use public libraries as a time out space for reading. It must be my age… but I enjoy reading a book as a paperback, rather than on a screen!
Libraries, like the author, have been a constant part of my life – especially over the last 10 years. My first use of libraries was at school. We had lessons on how to use them and had to learn library etiquette. Throughout high school, I often opted out of sports day in favour of the library. With my first masters degree, most of the time I was based in New York city and spent most of my time doing this degree in the NYC Public Library or the NYC public Library for Performing Arts – I did a music masters. These libraries were absolutely amazing. I currently spend a lot of time with this masters degree at the library in Australia but people make noise, talk on the phone etc.… It is just disappointing the lack of respect people have for the library and others in many Australian libraries. I guess this is endemic of Australian society as a whole – take something for granted until it’s gone.
This is an interesting post in that it tells us how the ways readings are consumed have changed. One aspect I liked about the library was that I was able to enjoy not only the contents of the book but also the cover and the preface. Each book has a different material, and it seemed to be a ‘personality’ of the book. The preface was one way to connect with other readers even indirectly. However, e-books do not have such individual characteristics. It feels a little sad that fewer people go to the library these days and the unique parts of printed books have not been recognised.
I like the idea that reading should be easily accessible and encouraged for everyone, even though it should not always be free. If reading was free, I don’t think it would be as much appreciated as it should (or maybe the other way around, who would know?) As a postgrad student, I enjoy the silent study space reserved for those like us in the school library, where I can steer away from all the disruptive phonecalls and noisy discussions or presentation rehearsals from other students. However, it’s not like there isn’t as much thrill in the other areas since study spaces are arranged in a way that people are surrounded by books, which might as well just make us more encouraged and intrigued to dive deep in exploring the new worlds and universes that humanity has to offer.
I feel for the man from the Twitter story. It’s truly terrible that such a basic service like public toilets and bathrooms is not available to people. I’ve read somewhere not so long ago that there was this survey done; the results showed that people feel their movements are limited due to the lack of public toilets. This was true not only for people with health issues, but also parents with young children and people from general population. While Sydney could also to improve this, the country in general is doing quite well (free, clean, toilet paper etc. available) – this is in contrast to some other countries where the service is not only limited but also charged.
Anyway, beside the toilet issue – I strongly believe that public places such as libraries or some community centres should be free, meaning, there shouldn’t be any membership fee. This way, these places will stay accessible to literally anyone because the ability to read is a human right. Some people may be accessing information online but not everyone has this privilege to own devices; libraries are places where less fortunate people can use computers, tablets and such, educate themselves or immerse in all wonderful books. Libraries are places that make people feel like they belong.
When I was 6, the city library in Vaasa/Vasa, Finland, had a limit: one could only borrow 7 books per week. As a bilingual I first went to the Finnish part, and borrowed the 7 books. Then I went to the Swedish part, and borrowed another 7 books. I learned thus early that It was useful to have two mother tongues; it paid off, also materially.
Now. living in Lund, Sweden, it takes me 20 minutes to walk to three libraries; the city library (which has books in over 100 languages, including my mother tongues), the University library (and of course the linguistics library, in a separate building), and the Wallenberg Human Rights library. Luxury… Finns, some 5.5 million people, borrowed last year almost 68 million books from libraries…