Love the Library!
Last year my students and I went on a crusade.
One day I was reading "The Hot Word," a blog on Dictionary.com (I don't like it as well now as I used to; someone new is writing it, and it isn't as good). One of the posts was about dying words -- words from English that aren't used as much anymore. My diligently working students were distracted by my sudden gasp. One of my favorite words was on the "in critical condition" list.
Hornswoggle -- a verb meaning to cheat or trick. It also has a great synonym I really love -- bamboozle.
I was appalled! I read the short post aloud to my students, and we unanimously decided to revive two words on the list: hornswoggle and aerodrome. (An aerodrome is a small airport.) Our plan worked, kind of. A few juniors at my high school now know the words and use them occasionally. If nothing else, using the words has become a sort of inside joke for us.
Yesterday after school I went to the library. Going to the library is to me what going to the mall is for other women. I day dream about it. Sometimes I go in with a certain book in mind. Other times I just browse. Nearly every time I come out with more than I can possibly manage to read before all the books in my arms are due back in two weeks.
Needless to say the thought that libraries and books made of actual paper are going to fade away like hornswoggle and aerodrome concerns me. I can't count the number of times I have blissfully sniffed a brand new book, left a good paperback for someone else, or had a friendly chat with a librarian about the great novel I just read.
After I thought about the possible extinction of libraries yesterday, I did what any self-respecting 21st century person would do. I Googled it. I found there's quite a diversity of opinion out there. Some people think that libraries are taking a last breath even now. Others think that libraries will evolve. Personally, I think that libraries are already evolving; I have an e-reader, and I borrow books from the digital portion of my local library too. It's not just about "the stacks" anymore, people! Libraries serve as a station for Internet access or employment help during a time when people need both. Check this video out:
So libraries might not look the same in the future, but they will still be there -- probably better than ever. If you haven't been to your local library lately, or ever, do me a favor and go check it out. You might be surprised.
Just for fun:
One day I was reading "The Hot Word," a blog on Dictionary.com (I don't like it as well now as I used to; someone new is writing it, and it isn't as good). One of the posts was about dying words -- words from English that aren't used as much anymore. My diligently working students were distracted by my sudden gasp. One of my favorite words was on the "in critical condition" list.
Hornswoggle -- a verb meaning to cheat or trick. It also has a great synonym I really love -- bamboozle.
I was appalled! I read the short post aloud to my students, and we unanimously decided to revive two words on the list: hornswoggle and aerodrome. (An aerodrome is a small airport.) Our plan worked, kind of. A few juniors at my high school now know the words and use them occasionally. If nothing else, using the words has become a sort of inside joke for us.
Yesterday after school I went to the library. Going to the library is to me what going to the mall is for other women. I day dream about it. Sometimes I go in with a certain book in mind. Other times I just browse. Nearly every time I come out with more than I can possibly manage to read before all the books in my arms are due back in two weeks.
Needless to say the thought that libraries and books made of actual paper are going to fade away like hornswoggle and aerodrome concerns me. I can't count the number of times I have blissfully sniffed a brand new book, left a good paperback for someone else, or had a friendly chat with a librarian about the great novel I just read.
After I thought about the possible extinction of libraries yesterday, I did what any self-respecting 21st century person would do. I Googled it. I found there's quite a diversity of opinion out there. Some people think that libraries are taking a last breath even now. Others think that libraries will evolve. Personally, I think that libraries are already evolving; I have an e-reader, and I borrow books from the digital portion of my local library too. It's not just about "the stacks" anymore, people! Libraries serve as a station for Internet access or employment help during a time when people need both. Check this video out:
So libraries might not look the same in the future, but they will still be there -- probably better than ever. If you haven't been to your local library lately, or ever, do me a favor and go check it out. You might be surprised.
Just for fun:
Comments
Post a Comment