Week 15: The Code

 

1.     I will not scoff at the book selection of others. If people are reading something at length- whatever it is- then that is a good thing.

2.     I will not think reading makes me a good person. It makes me a more interested person, but it doesn’t make me a more interesting one.

3.     I will be quiet in the library. The library is a port in the storm, a shop canopy in the rain, a sanctuary from the hubbub. I must respect that.

4.     I will return my books on time. I won’t forget about them, renew them constantly online, therefore denying someone the chance to read a book I will never read.

5.     I will understand that the library is the centre of civilization: it is shelter for those without homes, an IT room for those without computers, a resource for those without books, a quiet place for those who live in noise.

6.     I will take care of the books in my possession. I am not their owner; I am their custodian. I am in a chain of people who have come before me; a chain that will come after me.

7.     I will recommend the library to all because the library proves utopia is possible.
It welcomes and serves everyone. The poorest have as much access as the rich. It is the one place in the world where you can be entertained and not pay a penny.

8.     I will not forget about the library when I have disposable income. The library is different to a shop because in a shop you think, “I would like that but I don’t have the money.” In a library money doesn’t talk, it is gagged.

9.     I will read across genres because not all fantasy is a load of nonsense designed for adults that want to wear fancy dress in the woods.

10.  I will respect the librarian. Their word is law. We are tenants on their land.


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