Books accomplish many important things

Books accomplish many important things . . . They refresh and fill our minds, encourage our hearts, and rest our feet—sometimes literally.

At least that’s what I’m saying after taking my College English Comp. and Editing students on a library tour where I teach at the Univ. of Northwestern—St. Paul, MN. This picture of a perfect reading nook shows you why.

The good news is I had no idea the library was so up to date and with so much wide-ranging material available online from vast network options, greatly expanding our local holdings. With fast service, too, to receive even literal books to hold in our hands from surrounding libraries. Plus I’m told such improvements are generally true everywhere.

One of my students walked in unsure how to narrow a broad writing topic into a manageable one, and the library director’s informative slide show of in-house and online holdings took care of that in a heartbeat. It listed subjects and many detailed sub-categories that generated more than enough ideas for all of us. Later, touring literal attractive book stacks, titles practically shouted their names. I spotted a volume of an explorer’s century-old botanical survey of South America, including a jungle region where I once spent three and a half happy months helping teachers, schools, and school children. That book came home with me, and as a faculty member, I can keep it for four months. If I need to, I can even renew it longer.

Books, all kinds of them. On shelves, transmitted through the air, to fill our minds, encourage our hearts, and even rest our feet before taking more and better journeys through the wonderfully-expanded world they bring us.

It doesn’t get much better than that. Visit your local library in person or online, and happy reading!

Please tell us what book you’re reading now, or name a lifetime favorite. What has either meant to you?