(no subject)

Libraries are the souls of cities.  I believe this strongly.  They're not just the hearts: that's too corporeal, too practical and down to earth to be applicable.  They do not merely pump vitality through the streets and alleys and other arterial passageways of a city: libraries animate cities in a way that's as inexplicable and as wondrous as the life-spark itself. 

The local library was one of the big reasons why we chose to live in the town that we do: it was nestled in a lovely little park with the biggest low-lying tree that I've ever seen in my life directly in front of it, right in the heart of the "downtown" (read: smack in the middle of the one street that passes as a "downtown" in an LA neighborhood), and it had the most charming life-sized statue of Mark Twain looking up from a book, his arm stretched comfortably over the back of a bench, almost beckoning you to come and take a seat.

So of course, 6 months after we moved in, they boarded up the park in order to remodel the library.

It's taken over a year and a 1/2 to complete the job, but I actually think it was worth it.  I visited the new library today for the first time, and it is airy and spacious and technologically up-to-date and just generally delightful.

Also, it was well-stocked with old Peter Straub books, which is exactly the anodyne required for my weekend'o'gradin'.  I mean, seriously, the little girl in Julia?  Totally makes reading undergrad. finals much less scary by comparison.

(no subject)

Libraries are the souls of cities.  I believe this strongly.  They're not just the hearts: that's too corporeal, too practical and down to earth to be applicable.  They do not merely pump vitality through the streets and alleys and other arterial passageways of a city: libraries animate cities in a way that's as inexplicable and as wondrous as the life-spark itself. 

The local library was one of the big reasons why we chose to live in the town that we do: it was nestled in a lovely little park with the biggest low-lying tree that I've ever seen in my life directly in front of it, right in the heart of the "downtown" (read: smack in the middle of the one street that passes as a "downtown" in an LA neighborhood), and it had the most charming life-sized statue of Mark Twain looking up from a book, his arm stretched comfortably over the back of a bench, almost beckoning you to come and take a seat.

So of course, 6 months after we moved in, they boarded up the park in order to remodel the library.

It's taken over a year and a 1/2 to complete the job, but I actually think it was worth it.  I visited the new library today for the first time, and it is airy and spacious and technologically up-to-date and just generally delightful.

Also, it was well-stocked with old Peter Straub books, which is exactly the anodyne required for my weekend'o'gradin'.  I mean, seriously, the little girl in Julia?  Totally makes reading undergrad. finals much less scary by comparison.

(no subject)

Happy birthday,rosefox ! 

(no subject)

Happy birthday,rosefox !