There’s just something about libraries. No matter the time of day, I always see people browsing the shelves or picking up items on hold. Surprisingly, it’s never too loud or too quiet in the building. There’s just enough clacking of keyboards and soft conversations to remind me that there are people in the library with me, all using the space in their own way. For me, the library is an integral part of my life as a geek.
This is how I feel every time I step into a library.GIF of Belle from Disney’s Beauty and the Beast gesturing at books from a bookcase ladder. Source: GIPHY
My love of libraries came from my father. He frequented the public library to use the computers, and to feed my never satiated hunger for something to read. Under the dim fluorescent lights I read classics like Black Beauty and The Black Stallion, and found great fantasy novels such as Tamara Pierce’s Wild Magic (surprise, I had a thing for horses). Most of these books were brought back quite late, and I have memories of paying my late fees in change. No matter how inconvenient, the library workers would take my change with a smile, and always encouraged me to come back for more books.
In middle school, I found something else to read—manga. My local library didn’t carry any comics, so I stopped visiting. I started saving leftover lunch money and used it to buy a new manga every week. I ended up with my own library of manga that my friends would borrow from, and even had a notebook to keep track of my books! After I graduated from high school, my money situation changed. I could no longer afford to buy shiny new manga every week for myself. I stopped looking for new series because I could not legally access them. The geekiness inside of me faded into the background as I struggled to figure out other parts of my life.
I don’t remember too many details from my first visit to my local King County library. I think I had just moved to Washington State, was bored, and wanted to sit somewhere with air conditioning. I didn’t know what to expect when I entered the building. Would I be there only person there? Would it be like the dimly lit library of my youth? I stepped in, and was shocked—the place was packed! Every corner of the building was in use, from study rooms to public computers. Some people were just sitting in a comfy chair and enjoying the view from the large windows. Others browsed the shelves, looking for a book cover to inspire them.
And you know what I found? Manga! The library had a whole section of beautiful manga! I stood in front of the shelves, a big grin on my face. I could finally read all the manga and comics I wanted without going broke. At last, I could feed my inner geek again.
My current stack of library books: Ouran High School Host Club vol. 15; Tokyo Babylon books 1 and 2; Catch-22, by Joseph Heller; Unsheltered, by Barbara Kingsolver; Ms. Marvel, vol. 10; Rat Queens, vol 4; Valerian, the Complete Collection, book 2.
I now visit the library several times a month to borrow all sorts of media. Through the library I watched Westworld and Star Trek: Discovery, two TV series that are only available through a subscription service. When I need a new crafting project, I’ll browse the crafting section in nonfiction. Manga-wise, I finished Fruits Basket, and am now tackling all of CLAMP’s works.
No matter your fandom, you’ll find something for your inner geek at your local library.
Hi everyone! In honor of National Library Week, I asked our faithful staff at GeekGirlCon what they love most about their local library. Here’s what a few of them had to say:
“When I returned to Seattle after a near-decade away, I could not believe all the changes that had been made to the Seattle library system! They’d become all sleek and modern, with a website for me to check out things, pay fines, and renew holds. Best of all, in my absence they had built a gorgeous branch in my neighborhood that is perfectly located next to a grocery store and other handy things. What a joy it is to load up on books (I never leave with just one), get other errands done at the same time, grab coffee, and go home to curl up and read. Not going to lie, I’ve had a lot less overdue books than in the past because of this system; everyone should have a neighborhood library!” – Nova Barlow, Web Content Producer
“What I like most about my local library system is my library card. In addition to checking out materials, my library card allows me to access a huge array of fantastic online resources: such as dictionaries or encyclopedia like the Oxford English Dictionary, when I need to get some hardcore etymology, usage, or history for words; or full text magazine and publication databases like ProQuest, General OneFile, or eLibrary when I wanted to pull up that article on the Lake District from 1998; or a fantastic pulled pork recipe from an old cooking magazine accidentally ruined by a sweet-and-tangy (but sadly opaque) sauce. I’m amazed at how much stuff is not on the free internet, and I am really happy that my library gives me access to it wherever I am.
And yes, I do have my library card number memorized.” – Amanda Powter, Copywriter
“My favorite thing about my library is the fact that they’ve gone digital. Now I can check out an audio-book on my phone or an eBook on my kindle from anywhere instead of having to make that extra effort to stop into the library. I read a lot of books and use the library for most of them. I would much rather check out 10 books on my kindle than have to carry around a giant hardback. Thank you, Seattle libraries, for providing digital content, and here’s to hoping the selection keeps expanding!” – Jex Ballard, Volunteer Coordinator
What do you love about your local library? Leave your comment below and show some love for your favorite book nook!
It’sNational Library Week, a time to celebrate and raise awareness about the contributions libraries, librarians, and library workers make to their communities every day.
This is not a difficult celebration, as virtually everybody loves libraries. Many of us have fond memories of rushing there after school, picking up yet another book so we can discover ourselves, get lost in a new world, and become our own superheroes—even if it’s just for a few hours. Few of us have forgotten the magic that happened in the library as a child, because we still visit our local library monthly, weekly, and sometimes daily.
In fact, last year, Americans visited their library more than 1.4 billion times. Billion.
Creating Opportunity
Libraries serve as our nation’s great equalizers of knowledge, providing free access to information and opportunity for all people. The public library is often the heart of a community, bringing people together in a way no other community organization can: through books, through computers and Internet access, and through dedicated staff who are so passionate about knowledge and information. While Google or Bing can give you 50,000 responses to an inquiry, your librarian can help you find the one answer you need.
Plus, librarians are incredibly cool. Case in point: Librarians Do Gaga (below), the Geek the Library campaign, and Unshelved, a web comic set in the library.
Geek the Library
In fact, whatever you geek, whatever you are passionate about, the library helps make it happen.
I geek science fiction. I geek sonic screwdrivers. I geek hobbits and Middle Earth. I geek space. And I can get my geek on at the library.
But unless we continue to support our libraries, this won’t be the reality. Did you know that libraries get around 80 percent of their funding from local sources? That includes taxes, levies, and donations. Remember that the next time your are griping over a late book fee or reviewing your tax contributions.
What can you do right now to support your local library? Get involved in National Library Week and tell others how important the library is to you, your community, and your country.
And let us know in the comments what sort of things you geek about and how the library helps you explore this!
