#i love libraries

[academic-vampire]

It’s always a great day to check out a large stack of books from the library

[lesbxdyke]

I would like to again big up libraries as safe spaces for people of all types!

I had a psychotic episode in my local library while I was in there working and had convinced myself that I was in a bubble dimension and if I left the library I would die, and that being what had happened to the librarian because I hadn't seen them in an hour (it's a small, local library. You can see the librarians desk from where I sit to work)

Now obviously they weren't dead, they were just in the little office that I couldn't see into.

I'm also lucky enough to be a very self aware psychotic, so I reached out to my support network to make sure I got home safely. But none of them could actually get me OUT of the library and I was still absolutely certain that if I stepped off the carpet and onto the tile, I would die.

So I got up, I made my way to the desk, I found the librarian and I said "I need your help. I'm having a psychotic episode and this is what I currently believe. Could you please come out from behind your desk and stand on the tiles so I can see it won't kill me?"

And they did. They didn't shame me, or laugh, or tell me it wasn't real. They said "Yeah, that must be scary." And thanked me when I admitted I'd thought them dead and been really upset about that because I liked them.

And then stood there on the tile, while I stood on the carpet, for ten minutes while I chatted shit and tried to build up my courage to step on the tile, just in case. Including telling me that if this happened again and I needed to call someone, to disregard the usual 'don't call people in the library' rule and just do so after I promised I was going to be calling my husband the second I was on the tile so he could safely walk me home.

(& so no one worries: my husband got me home safe, and a friend came to check on me a little while later and brought me food and I'm fully Cognizant and out of it now)

I cannot imagine another place where I could approach someone and say that and not get the police or an ambulance called on me. Neither of which I needed or would have been helpful.

I cannot imagine another place where a member of staff would stand somewhere for ten minutes to make sure I felt safe enough leaving.

I cannot imagine another place where I would not only be explicitly welcomed back, but be told "If this happens again here, disregard our normal rules to take care of yourself."

I cannot imagine another place on this earth that I would feel safe enough returning to, 3 days later, after an episode like that.

Libraries are a fucking Godssend and should be protected at all costs!

[violetsoblue]

Just to be clear, we already have free data centers — they’re called libraries.

[the-sappho-of-lesbos]

Just discovered the library app Comics Plus. My life has been blessed. So many amazing graphic novels and manga to read for free.

[intothestacks]

Every so often I get overwhelmed with this feeling and I just-- I just-- 

I LOVE LIBRARIES, OKAY? I LOVE THEM SO MUCH.

I don’t think people who have always had a great library system to go to can fully comprehend just how insanely amazing it is to have this place where you can just borrow a book, or movie, or video game, or a Raspberry Pi robot, or try out something like Oculus Rift or 3D printing. And that’s not even going into free access to the internet, free courses, and everyday programming like storytime!!!! 

It’s so mindblowing.

You might have some vague idea of how cool it is, but I don’t think you can truly grasp how cool unless you had the experience of not having this first.

I just -- Libraries are the best, okay?

[rockstar-vamp]

Yo do we only miss the great library of Alexandria because it burned down? We hold that library in such high regard (for understandable reasons), but how do we treat other libraries? Usually as obsolete places. Why don’t we go to libraries more often then? Let’s go to the library more !

[taciturn-nerd]

If all the e-books for the Lord Peter Wimsey mystery series were checked out at your local library, I'm sorry that was me

[hellhound-with-a-blog]

This absolutely INSANE copy of Frankenstein that I found at the library is one of the most beautiful things I’ve ever seen in my life.

Plus, it came out in 2013 and its main blurb is from Guillermo del Toro!!!! Something tells me he’s a fan