As I sat in a cramped position in front of a computer at the library in Adams Center, NY waiting for the internet to respond, I leaned back and stretched. It would be understandable to feel claustrophobic in such a small building, let alone the tiny nook reserved for computer access. The place seemed like it might have been an old, tiny, one-room school house left over from the 1800's. And although it was located directly at the center of town, I had probably driven past it 100 times without even noticing its existence. To walk through the front door gave you the feeling of walking back in time. I recall once asking the rickety, little librarian lady where they kept the DVD's. (It astonished me that I was unable to find something in such a small paramater) She responded with; "They are over yonder, we haven't got many since they are still so new." Mind you, this was in 2008.
Anyways, as I stretched out in front of that computer, my elbow made contact with a small wooden plaque that was leaned up against a shelf. I had just clipped it but it had fallen flat on the shelf. So, naturally I had picked it back up and leaned it back against the wall. When I did so, I read it: "Adams Center, NY. Home of Melvil Dewey - Inventor of the Dewey Decimal System".
I chuckled out of a state of sheer ridiculousness and confusion. I quickly thought to myself; "This library only has 4 shelves, what the hell could have made that guy invent the fucking Dewey Decimal system?" Now, I assumed that he probably didn't invent it on account of this tiny library, but it certainly had irony written all over it.
Also, this "plaque" was simply an old slab of oak about the size of my hand. There was a thin piece of brass on the face of the wood which contained its etchings. It was very old and warped, what a piece of crap I thought to myself. If old Melvil were around today he would certainly be disgusted by the "tribute". Being that this was his hometown, and in the fricken library at that, this was the only remembrance displayed? And in such a broken down, miniature facility? Poor guy.
The Dewey decimal system is probably the biggest achievement in the history of library's. It is a stroke of organizational genius that is still used in every library which I am aware. Anyways, when I considered the ridiculous homage, I realized something else. Adams Center is one of the smallest towns I have ever spent any considerable amount of time in. It is an old farming town that is way behind in time. I cant believe it even has an exit off a major highway, if you were to blink you would certainly miss it. And so with that, I began to recognize a towns library with the character of a town in general. I mean, a towns library is generally a direct reflection of the town itself....any town. Because a towns library is and always has been a place for community gatherings, funded by the local government, of course it would provide a microcosm of the town itself, right?
I began to think of all of the towns and libraries in which I had spent considerable time, and my theory held true every time. My hometown library is in a large, old, colonial style mansion. Im sure that when it was created in the late 1800's or early 1900's that they spared no expense. However, now a days the floors are all creaky and the upstairs has never been open to the public in my lifetime. The town used to be a magnificent giant until its manufacturing tycoon outsourced long ago. The building is a reminder of what once was...if only those walls could talk.
Libraries in struggling cities and towns are now often occupied by those who cannot afford computers and internet access. There are people who simply loiter with no place else to go. They call themselves "free", but they charge their patrons for anything they can. The attitudes of those who work at these libraries correspond directly with the clientele they deal with most often. They can be rude and hostile, they have little patience for the incompetent. However, libraries in striving communities allow you to still print out pages on their computers for free. They allow you to use their fax machines for free, they are spotless, and the librarians are very kind, helpful, and usually volunteers.
My point is this: a towns library can very often define its soul. Therefore, I ask you to consider all of the different community libraries you have been to. And I ask that you recognize all of the similarities and adjectives which can be attributed to both the town and its library. And maybe, just maybe, you should visit your local library before you decide to settle down some place. :)
