I love books and by logical deduction, one can safely infer that I love Libraries. That unique smell of old, deprecating and deteriorating books in a library is so addictive and refreshing. I feel awe whenever I walk into a library - probably because of the thought that there is so much knowledge surrounding me or because of the realization that there is so much that I don't know about.
My love for libraries and books started in my primary school which had a library that was no bigger than a kirana store. Yet, I spent hours browsing the handful of books since I cannot borrow more than one book at a time. I had to choose it judiciously. Those were the times when you didn't have the luxury to log on to the internet and get a review of the book. My first book was "Hardy Boys and the track of the Zombie" (yes, I still remember the name!).
Once I moved into engineering, Library became a part of my daily life. For someone who can't afford expensive-engineering-imported books, Library was the only source. My friends and I had the habit of hiding most-sought-after books in libraries so that we can borrow them later for reference. Arumugam's Engineering Physics will be hidden under Indian History. Engineering Mechanics will go to bottom most shelf in Management. How many times have we returned a book and waited behind the counter for the book to come out and borrow it again on the same day?! Library at college also becomes the hangout place for all your team/group activities. Whether you prepare for exam or do any team project, library is the place to be. And the air conditioning provides some respite from the hot Chennai weather!
But
my favorite library would always be that tiny little lending library
that was about 5Kms away from my home. During summer vacations, my favorite
past-time next to reading books, was actually taking a trip in my dodgy cycle to
this library. Munching off snacks from road side shops during
the ride and spending hours at that library before I decide on what I'm
gonna take home were such intoxicating experiences. There was an easy and efficient way
of identifying a good book from a bad one - check the state of the book.
Bad, torn and looks like it was read a million times : Pick it. The
best review system :)
I miss those days of being a simple yet addictive book user.
P.S: Technology is changing the landscape now with e-books becoming the first choice for many readers. Though I miss the old-fashioned approach, I strongly believe that this good for the future and the environment. However, pricing of e-books are currently pathetic. Some one has to create a disruptive pricing strategy (just as Apple did it with iTunes) to accelerate the migration to e-books.
My love for libraries and books started in my primary school which had a library that was no bigger than a kirana store. Yet, I spent hours browsing the handful of books since I cannot borrow more than one book at a time. I had to choose it judiciously. Those were the times when you didn't have the luxury to log on to the internet and get a review of the book. My first book was "Hardy Boys and the track of the Zombie" (yes, I still remember the name!). Once I moved into engineering, Library became a part of my daily life. For someone who can't afford expensive-engineering-imported books, Library was the only source. My friends and I had the habit of hiding most-sought-after books in libraries so that we can borrow them later for reference. Arumugam's Engineering Physics will be hidden under Indian History. Engineering Mechanics will go to bottom most shelf in Management. How many times have we returned a book and waited behind the counter for the book to come out and borrow it again on the same day?! Library at college also becomes the hangout place for all your team/group activities. Whether you prepare for exam or do any team project, library is the place to be. And the air conditioning provides some respite from the hot Chennai weather!
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| The Best Pick! |
I miss those days of being a simple yet addictive book user.
P.S: Technology is changing the landscape now with e-books becoming the first choice for many readers. Though I miss the old-fashioned approach, I strongly believe that this good for the future and the environment. However, pricing of e-books are currently pathetic. Some one has to create a disruptive pricing strategy (just as Apple did it with iTunes) to accelerate the migration to e-books.
No wonder I have never seen u in college even though u were only a year ahead! CEG library was the kingdom of nerds; if the stuff in those books didn't put you to sleep, the irritable low voiced rabble of all those pandus made me wary of coming anywhere near the library!
ReplyDeleteBtw my primary motivation to go to the library was to ogle at chicks who frequently visit the one near my place! Reading books was just a side benefit, but eventually it became more than a hobby!