Learning about libraries as communities is a great way to start changing the notion of what a library is. A library is not primarily in the service of books, but people. A place of books is otherwise a repository, but what gives those books meaning and value are the people who read them. Humanity’s nature was meant for many things, not least of all companionship. A library is a logical place for a community to meet together and discover what they can accomplish together. Books just happen to be one culmination of those efforts.
This course encourages us to embrace the potential of what libraries are capable of. I was interested in the correlation between libraries and improving the health of patrons, and how the public and state libraries of Victoria are approaching this initiative (Greenwood, 2022; Hasan, 2022). I could visualize the physical and mental struggles of a population as they grow older (Greenwood, 2022), and how users view the library as a “safe place” for their mental wellbeing (Hasan, 2022). Community presence is vital to addressing these needs, and for users to view the library with satisfaction, it means there is something important that they can find there. At its core, the library needs a community supporting it. The true potential of the library is realized when the community comes together to create the best ways it can help them.
Gene Wilder as Willy Wonka in Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory (1971).
While writing this, I thought of the beloved song “Pure Imagination” by Gene Wilder’s Willy Wonka. “If you want to view paradise / simply look around and view it.” Although the actual context is sung by an inventor who kept his factory secluded before unveiling its wonders to the golden ticket winners, I came up with another interpretation: Paradise is here, surrounded by the people in your life with whom you have relationships and bonds. We can dream of wishes and fantasies that are only possible in some other world, but perhaps the paradise we’re looking for can also be found here, in a world we are capable of shaping.
References:
Greenwood, C. (2022). Healthy Library, Healthy Life.
Hasan, T.N. (2022). ‘Free, non-judgemental, accessible’: How your local library is a sanctuary of health and wellness. https://www.sbs.com.au/language/bangla/en/article/free-nonjudgmental-and-accessible-how-your-local-library-is-a-sanctuary-of-health-and-wellness/t15blzsi9
1 Comment
November 26, 2024 at 3:20 pm
I really enjoyed this post, and I believe that libraries are great for mental health. Libraries have helped me a lot, especially with my anxiety and not being able to focus. I also love your analogy with the Willy Wonka song.