A queue in the library
To be in a long queue is a skill! I am not sure our Swedish kids always are as patient as these children in the Library in Gwanda! And I also wish people were visiting the Swedish libraries in such a great number as you can see here! But it must be tiring for the librarian to have such a lot of people to handle all the time! And what a lot of cleaning in the end of the day! And organizing all books that you found anywhere in the library! I get tired only of the thought!
But on the other hand where do you find such a lot of nice and kind people? I will say nowhere! A Library is a wonderful place for satisfying people!
Most of the time they come in to the library for very different reasons. Someone wants a book, and when you can give him/her the book they are so happy, or if you can order it from another library, they are even happier, because then they are special and important, when I take my time and fix the book for them.
Somebody comes into the library and wants to know something, for example a word in a crossword or for their exams in school or university, or to solve a discussion among friends or at their work place.
Somebody comes to tell about their personal problems or joy! For example a divorce or a new found love!
Somebody died or was born.
One elder lady came in to the library and asked me to tell everybody that she had some fresh eggs to sell! And of course I did!
Everything is discoursed at a library and I found it most important that there is a place in a society where it is possible to do that. But I am not sure our politicians think they would support the library to be a social meeting point in that way. So don’t tell them!
I am sure this is the case all over the world and to keep a library in a village, makes it to a place for information. Perhaps you have to be very careful not to make it into a political arena. You have to balance between hand over information the customers want and what is allowed to hand over in the society. That is really a big deal in most countries!
Love from Kersti in a dark, rainy, a bit cold and dull Hässleholm in the south of Sweden, about 10000 km north of Zimbabwe
You can also follow my private blogg at http://www.kersti.webblogg.se
libraries as meeting points is indeed very interesting!!! I'm sure there are many nice people coming there, and the good thing is that people go there voluntary and to enjoy which means that they are probably in a good mood. And yes, it must be satisfying to help so many people in so many different ways every day.
Just one comment, don't you think libraries got get even more funding if it became known what an important role they have to fill in our society????
