I love Library Week; always have, always will. Since libraries seldom have a birthday, it's my way of celebrating libraries in every way that you can during a birthday party. I, of course, have an uber prejudice about my place of work and chosen career but still.
In celebration, I must link to two articles that made me think this week:
This one in the Atlantic that calls a "Slow Book Movement." Similar in concept to the going-back- to-the-land and slow food movements as well as re-learning long lost kitchen and building arts within our homes, the author calls for us to spend as much time reading the classics as we can to give our brains some good meat. Paraphrasing Michael Pollan, she says: "Read books. As often as you can. Mostly classics." While I might quibble with classics, reading something mind-challenging on a regular basis is a suggestion most welcome!
The other one from Jessamyn West's blog librarian.net details a PR campaign in Troy MI that used the unusual strategy of calling for a book burning event to burn all the library books to wake up the community to the Tea Party's call and moneyed campaign to cut taxes vital to that community's library. Radical? Yes. Effective - without a doubt. Perhaps we should be thinking more outside our geek box to show what libraries really mean to our communities.
Both of these articles showed me there are many conversations and ways that we can approach books, reading and our libraries. They both give me hope for our future. How about you?
Oh, and Happy Library Week!
Picture from my fabulous alma mater's (UW-Madison Libraries) Edible Book Festival in 2006.
Oh the Troy library! I had forgotten about that. Yes, I think many people were confused about whether that was a satirical effort or not. There were lots of concerns on Michigan's library listserv. I am glad that they have been able to stay open. I was dumbfounded that they were ever in danger of closing. Troy is home to some very deep pockets (as well as Michigan's only Tiffany & Co. outlet!)
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