Library Happiness

Jane and I had a lovely afternoon at the public library today. Just reading books and discovering new books in the shelving cart and meeting friends.

I found a really interesting graphic novel called DMZ. It's set in New York City in the future where the US has experienced a second civil war. New York is the fault line between the sides and it's the story of a reporter there. Can't see the Tea Party taking over but perhaps this book was ahead of its time. Hard and gritty just like Battlestar Galactica.

So anyway the library. What a place! So many people, like me, must really love it and cherish it. My friend Drew once remarked to me that in all the state's efforts to destroy the welfare state, the one untouchable is the public library. We never really understood why that would be. I think perhaps it's because the library predates the welfare state. But still you'd think that the economy would much prefer we all bought our own private libraries and never shared much like private cell phones replaced public pay phones.

As I was leaving I wanted to make a stencil that said: "If you're ever feeling sad think of the public library".