Are public libraries a thing of the past? The other day we were in Borders’ children’s section and I suddenly noticed how crowded it was—people sitting in the aisles reading prebought books, parents and grandparents reading stories to their kids on the reading couch. What a consumer culture we live in where bookstores are cropping up like weeds and choking out the wholesome, community-oriented, benevolent public libraries.
After that day in Borders I decided to start taking Evan to the Kaneohe library after school regularly. The first time we went, Evan could not keep his volume level down. I fought with him for the snacks we brought because food and drink are not allowed. I had to get a new library card because the one from my childhood was not even in the system anymore. But, it was nostalgic. I couldn’t believe they still use the same date stamp that they used when I was 6. Most of the people there were grandparents with their grandkids and adults taking advantage of the DVD rack.
