May 8th, 2025 Thursday Sunny
I am a big fan of libraries.
I guess there are three reasons for this. The first one is the feeling of being surrounded by well-organized ocean of human knowledge. When I was standing among the metal racks in the library in my college, I could not help feeling rich and poor at the same time – rich since I could easily access the expertise of countless domains with no more than a few steps and a gentle pull, but poor since what I had already learned by then, compared with the amount of wisdom to be acquired, seemed negligible. It was a sense of awe.
I am also fond of the quiet atmosphere in a typical library, which is perfect for contemplation, meditation, concentration, and delving into challenges that require deep deliberation. The walls of the library serve to block all the hustle and bustle from the outside world, and protect a haven of studying, no matter where you are. Of course, for college kids with a high course load, it provides a peaceful spot for napping as well 😛
The third reason to account for my appreciation of libraries is FREE books!
As a child, I was called a bookworm at one point, because I could not seem to stop reading. I browsed all the tomes in my dad’s cabinet, from classic literature to illustrations of plants, none of which were intended for children. I would not pretend that I actually understood most of them, even with the help of a dictionary, but I did flip through all and absorbed what I could. Then I was hungry for more.
Interestingly, my parents never took me shopping in a bookstore or a book fair. I was jealous of my best friend, who was constantly buying new books, and later of my classmates, all of whom had a larger collection of books than me. Needless to say, the obvious approach to satisfy my desire without purchasing is – borrowing.
My career of “renting” books started before elementary school. Thankfully, I had many sources of “supplies” of generous friends, who were usually happy to loan me a book in exchange for small favors, if anything. As a result, I ended up reading, possibly fifty times more volumes than what I owned.
This pattern has continued after I moved for graduate school. For the convenience of packing/unpacking, I always preferred to check out materials from the library when needed, rather than ordering a copy online, even for textbooks. This not only saved money and space, but also pushed me to actually use the books during the limited time I got to keep them. The consequence is that I tend to acquire a more thorough grasp of the information presented – I really consumed the books.
In this picture are some library books currently in my possession. The one on top, “the blanket cats”, is a “benefit” for volunteers (if I see something appealing from the donation pile, I could bring it home and back anytime), with no deadline to return. Surprisingly, I made the least progress on it despite it being the cutest and with me the longest. Most of the time, when I am in the mood, I prioritize those that I realize will be sent back in a couple of weeks. I tell myself that since I can read this book whenever, it does not have to be now. In the end, it barely got opened.
“Only borrowed books are read.”
This goes beyond reading. With so many choices in our lives, what can be done whenever tend to be put on the shelf, delayed multiple times, and eventually forgotten. How many people growing up in famous tourist cities have never visited the famous sites (except to show their friends around)? How many people have started a personal project (e.g. crafting, writing) without a due date but never seem to find time to do it?
The truth is, there IS a time limit for everything (e.g. the day you become no longer able to function)– we are just not sure when that would be. If we do not want to live in regrets some day in the future, we had better schedule those whenever activities NOW.