tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21150821.post1579822108807104320..comments2019-07-05T08:32:57.370-04:00Comments on New Jack Librarian: The library as a point instead of a spaceMitahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17662779929151451964noreply@blogger.comBlogger1125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21150821.post-1139604841373037302011-08-10T15:53:05.747-04:002011-08-10T15:53:05.747-04:00Very interesting post! You write from the perspec...Very interesting post! You write from the perspective of a busy parent, and of course what you say makes perfect sense.<br /><br />However, I still do mourn the passing of the &quot;traditional&quot; library-as-space. I fondly remember family trips to the library when I was a kid... and the highlight for me was browsing the stacks. I revelled in the feel and smell of the books! <br /><br />To be sure, the ability to search the catalogue on my iPhone and place holds, renew books, etc. etc. is a welcome development... but... the truth is that as a graduate student studying for a Ph.D., I get most of my research materials by downloading them electronically from our library&#39;s online databases.<br /><br />Just yesterday, though, I had a &quot;blast from the past&quot; as I went to find an actual <i>book</i> I needed, that wasn&#39;t available electronically. <br /><br />So I actually went into the stacks for the first time in ages, and at the risk of over-romanticizing the point, I was overcome by a feeling of... well... the only way I can describe it is a sense that this was a <i>holy</i> place. I was literally dwarfed (and humbled) by the sheer magnitude of the stacks - stuffed to brimming with real <i>books</i>!<br /><br />I realized that I had missed that feeling since my childhood, so whatever becomes of libraries in the future, I hope they will always retain the quality of &quot;space&quot; and continue to be a repository for good ol&#39;-fashioned books!The Swordsmanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13058747896822845599noreply@blogger.com