I took an audiobook out of the library the other day, The Wolf in the Parlor: The Eternal Connection Between Humans and Dogs by Jon Franklin. It is an enjoyable book reflecting on one of my favorite subjects. In chapter three there was a quote about libraries, particularly university libraries, I want to share.
It must be understood, to further my story, that libraries are holy places. In a world dominated by knowledge they are temples and, as temples should, they strike a chord deep in our hearts. Visitors to libraries, like visitors to great cathedrals, converse (if they dare to converse at all) in hushed voices. Our mothers taught us to behave that way, ostensibly to avoid disturbing the intellectual labors of others. But the subtext was clear. Lowered voices are the universal symbol of awe, respect and no small amount of fear.
Walk into a big university’s library and it is all there, mans relentless and compulsive study of history and politics, sociology and psychology, anthropology and religion, art and philosophy. Such a library contains our accumulated knowledge about how we are and where we come from and what we might be doing here, what we could be doing here, all arranged neatly, thousands upon thousands of titles, carefully coded and cross referenced, interwoven by footnote and appendix, summing up who lifetimes of intellectual labor, the fruits of that labor as gossamer as the motes of dust that hang in the shafts of sunlight emanating from the high windows.
It must be understood, to further my story, that libraries are holy places. In a world dominated by knowledge they are temples and, as temples should, they strike a chord deep in our hearts. Visitors to libraries, like visitors to great cathedrals, converse (if they dare to converse at all) in hushed voices. Our mothers taught us to behave that way, ostensibly to avoid disturbing the intellectual labors of others. But the subtext was clear. Lowered voices are the universal symbol of awe, respect and no small amount of fear.
Walk into a big university’s library and it is all there, mans relentless and compulsive study of history and politics, sociology and psychology, anthropology and religion, art and philosophy. Such a library contains our accumulated knowledge about how we are and where we come from and what we might be doing here, what we could be doing here, all arranged neatly, thousands upon thousands of titles, carefully coded and cross referenced, interwoven by footnote and appendix, summing up who lifetimes of intellectual labor, the fruits of that labor as gossamer as the motes of dust that hang in the shafts of sunlight emanating from the high windows.
No comments:
Post a Comment