I have a love for libraries. I always have. The smell of books, the hunt for the just-right title, the organization of science fiction, mystery, thriller, philosophy, young adult to encyclopedias and how to's, all in the same room. Amazing! I am a book-worm and proud of it.
My husband and I knew from the start that we would have a library in our home, even before we heard the statistics from the influence of having one in the home. They encourage reading, learning and advanced education.
I remember when I had my first fling with a library. I was in Elementary school and our class was taken to the school library. I remember the shelves were tall and looked so massive and heavy with volumes of bright colored books.
The Librarian mentioned the "Dewey Decimal System" and in my young mind I instantly connected this to my Great-Grandfather who's middle name was Dewey.
"No Way!" I thought. And I knew...it had been MY great-grandfather who had come up with this brilliant method of cataloging books. It had to be him. The only other Dewey I knew could NOT have conceived this idea, all he did was hang out with his friends Huey and Louie.
I couldn't understand why everyone else in the class hated the Dewey Decimal System! I was very adamant that they should respect this system--AND I unabashedly told them why: Because my great-grandfather had developed it. I don't think that won me any friends, especially with the weird faces they pulled after I told them. I thought they were just jealous.
When I went to college I even USED the library. More often than not I put a pile of saliva on an area of a desk actually warped by many patrons doing the same thing as I, studying by osmosis. But, I did use it.
Libraries were fun places as well. At the close of the University library the theme song from Hawaii Five-O would play and it was customary for all the cool students still studying to stand up on the desks and chairs and hold out their arms and pretend to surf, many of them wiping off the string of saliva hanging from their chins.
Before writing this post, I received a call from my daughter who was searching for a book at the University library where she is attending. She said, "I don't even know what floor to start searching on!"
I laughed and told her it's not quite like using a search engine on the computer, she may have to use the card catalogue. She laughed back. Apparently card catalogues may have been replaced by computers. But, truth is, the Dewey system is still in use today, and you can do a quick search on your computer and Wiki will explain it pretty good!
