All my life I have had a membership at the Denton Public Library. I don't actually live in Denton, but most of my life is conducted out of Denton. I technically live in Flower Mound, but I have no interest in being part of the Flower Mound community, so I just don't bother. Anyhoo. So I recently was completely enraged to find out that the Denton Public Libraries are now charging Fifty smackers for any suckers that don't live in the Denton City limits yet still wish to utilize their three libraries. I was enraged until I found out the reason; it being that they lost their federal funding because they refused to put filters on the computers. What difference does that make? I'm glad you ask. You see, the government is trying to watch out for all of us by keeping pornography out of our public libraries. If the library put filters on it would keep out the porn. But it would also seriously impede people trying to do research about breast cancer. Or students wanting to write a paper about Leave it to Beaver. Etc. I am proud of the people that run the library. They stood up for their rights, they faced down the man. Kudos to you library people, kudos. Of course, I'm not proud enough to shell out fifty bucks for a place I'm gonna use like once a year. I guess it's time for me to check out the Flower Mound library. Heck. Even the phrase "Flower Mound" might wreak havoc with the filters. I mean, seriously, Flower Mound? Sounds like a porn star.
On a related note, what's up with libraries these days? Now-a-days all the shelves are short and placed in a nice large airy room that's all open and inviting. And I think that's crap. When I go into a library, I want the shelves to stretch up to the ceiling. I want to have to use a ladder to reach what I want. I want the place to smell like paper. I want to be able to pull a book of a shelf, sit down on the floor to read for half an hour and not worry about librarians seeing my head disappear and then coming to look at me disapprovingly. I want a card catalog, not a freaking computer. I like card catalogs. You can surf card catalogs. It's fun. I want somber colors, not red and yellow checkered carpet. I want librarians who know every book in the library, and if they don't have a book, he or she knows exactly what it is, why they don't have it, and when or if they're getting it. I guess I just miss the libraries of my childhood. Mostly the ladders. Something about ladders that slide along shelves and let you see a treasure trove of books just titallates me. Behind sex and extra dirty vodka martinis, I think they might just be my favorite thing. Maybe. The irony. I don't drink anymore, I gave up premarital sex, and there are no more of the libraries that I love. *sigh* Why do I go on?
8 comments:
$50?! That sucks! Although, the Denton Libraries never seem to have anything worth checking out anyway, so I guess it's just as well. I agree about the filter thing...good for them!
YEAH! down with the man!
Dude, I have a library card. I am not above loaning a book to you that the library has loaned to me. I know it's wrong...but I know where you live. :) AND, if you need an academic book for any reason, I recently found out that I'm shelling out $275 to use the university library. I will definitely lend you those books. For that much, I should be able to keep the damned things.
PS In Spanish, location is indicated with estar and library is feminine. So, it would be "(upside down question mark) Donde esta la biblioteca?" With an accenty thingy over the 'a' in 'esta'. Just FYI...it might be important one day. :)
yeah-i can use the University libraries through my school library's system. but thanks! And why would that ever be important? If I have to ask a deaf hispanic where the library is?
Picture it. You are lost somewhere in Spain. Some horrible disaster has unleashed a sonic boom, rendering deaf every person within a several mile radius. This disaster has been caused by an especially devious villain, of whom, only YOU know about. Surely, this incarnate of malice will strike again...but the rural area you are in has no savvy English speakers. Surely, if you could only make it to the local library, you might find some way to communicate with the outside world, or at the very least, find a English to Spanish dictionary to communicate with the natives. But, all of these heroics balance precariously on one distant memory....how did that phrase go again.... Is this story a wonderful adventure with a happy ending or a horrid disaster ending only in tragedy? Only YOU can decide.
And I will weep and wail and gnash my teeth and scream, "WHY, OH WHY didn't I listen to Josh! The foolishness! The shortsightedness! O! The infamy! The ignominy! You are wise beyond your years, Josh.
You know, you make good points. When my old university redid their library a few years back, they wanted to give it a Borders type of feel--they actually SAID that. So, wide, open spaces, short shelves, etc. It's the bastardization of a culture.
p.s. I would love to read your list. :)
BORDERS! Damn those bastards! The inmumanity!
Oh dear, I think I'm now inadvertantly committed to making a list. :)
Post a Comment