A library appeals to the small autistic boy that lives inside my head because while it's full of everything you could ever want to know it's organised by a clever system of numbers. A system of numbers that never changes. It's reliable. It's your friend. Maths is always 510, Cookery is at 641 (with sewing and housekeeping bizarrely rather than health), flute music can be found at 788 and the occult always at 130. Novels are kept alphabetically by author.
My local library does use the system but the numbers don't always follow a logical order around the building. The biographies (040) are round the corner, after the music (700) and the dictionaries and How to Write Your Novel books (800) are opposite the music. They have a 'parent's shelf', where they keep books that they think will appeal to parents so that if you are looking for a cake decorating book it might not be with the other 641.865s but may be relegated to the 'special shelf'. Not that there are many other 641.865s as it is such a small library. From now until Christmas they have a special Christmas stand and so finding a book on flower arranging at 745.92 is almost impossible. And the novels. Don't get me started on the novels. You can't just look up an author by their name. You have to know what type of book the library thinks it is. Is it Historical, Comedy, Science Fiction, Modern, Adventure etc etc. Sometimes it's in the 'Express Zone' or on the new novel shelf (last week Aldous Huxley's Brave New World was on the new novel shelf and I know that I read it over 20 years ago).
But even with it's frustrations I LOVE THE LIBRARY. I know I've said it before but I worry about it. With Kindles and i-pads and computers I fear for how long it can last. All my bookish friends who swore they'd never get a Kindle now own them and think they're wonderful and I bet they never visit the library now.
Today, the Long Suffering Husband is watching the golf. I'm staying warm, trying not to cough too much, wondering why it's so warm in Chicago (they are all wearing shorts) and was planning to read the novel I chose from the library this week. Id picked it because I liked the cover as it reminded me of a James Dodds print and I have no idea if I will like it. With the library there's no risk. You've wasted nothing except the time it took you to read it.
My plan failed because the Long Suffering Husband has been looking after me. He's been bringing me hot water and chocolate and brought a Telegraph Newspaper for me to read. When I worked my way through the "How to Write Your Novel" section of the library there was one book that suggested keeping newspaper clippings of all the articles that interested you. I'm not sure why but as I read the paper today I noticed that not all the articles held my interest equally. I read everything, even the sport and money sections, although I didn't understand any of it but there were certainly stories that made more of an impact.
Today I have learnt that Latin lovers make better gardeners (that's not swarthy holiday waiters but people who know the Latin names of plants), New York on a budget means hotels for £100 a night, Victoria Pendleton and Louis Smith (gymnast with nice bum) are doing Strictly Come Dancing. I've learnt that you're only as well respected as your latest novel; JK Rowling is hated by every critic writing ( there are 3 reviews in the paper) and that her house is for sale for £2.25 million. The 'place to Potter' has masses of original cornices and has been empty for 2 years. A column by Sarah Crompton suggesting , "Need friends? Play a piano," drew me in as playing the piano has never got me friends (possibly a reflection of my skill or lack of it) I skipped the four pages of advice on applying for Universit but. I was fascinated by an article about Salman Khan, who has been making educational videos on YouTube, which have prompted the likes of Bill Gates to send him $1.5 million dollars. I also learnt that someone who bought 50 Shades of Grey for her Kindle is being plagued with suggestions for books about bondage (you'd never get that from the library)
The articles that really grabbed my attention were the one about a pill that could fight ageing (please not, I don't want to live forever -am I the only one?) and the story about the lady who got stuck in a hedge for 3 days.
I used to worry that the Internet would stop people buying newspapers just as I worry that the Kindle will end our libraries. I hope it doesn't and I've not had so much fun reading such a diverse range of views in a long time. I can't imagine the hedge woman making my Sky News app.
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