Just as libraries are constantly evolving and changing, so too has my direction for Lydia’s Libraries. Over a year ago I started my blog as a way to showcase my love for libraries. I had been spending a lot of time doing homework in various libraries around my town and Providence and realized there was something more to these spaces than just the books they hold. Every physical space or building has a reason for its creation. Obviously for libraries, they started out as a place to hold collections of books. Yet, physical spaces also have the capability to make you feel comfort, excitement, curiosity, and community. Libraries promote discovery and exploration, fostering curiosity and learning though a range of programs and spaces. In this age of technology, how we access information is constantly changing.
Libraries are beginning to transform to fit this new role - providing updated computers, 3D printing, or coding workshops. At the same time, their capability to foster a diverse community has become even more important. Technology has transformed how we research, read, and write, it has also transformed the way we interact with each other. As our smartphones separate us into individual worlds, we begin to lose touch with our surroundings and communities. Public libraries remain as a common ground of knowledge, conversation, and exchange. While society continues to move forward in unprecedented directions, libraries have the ability to draw us back to what it means to be human. In between the stacks of books are spaces that provide people of all ages and backgrounds equal access to information and perspectives that hold great power in an ever-changing world.
So, what does this mean for Lydia’s Libraries? When I first started my blog, I knew I wanted to highlight the importance of libraries, but I was unsure of the best way to do it. The initial posts were focused on how the physical spaces made me feel. My love of libraries originated from the comfort I felt within the space. Since a large portion of my time while in libraries is devoted to getting work done, the aesthetic and comfort of the space felt very important to showcase. Yet, I knew there was so much more that characterized libraries. The people within these spaces are what make them so unique. From librarians cataloging books to families picking out bedtime stories, each person has developed a specific connection to their library. I feel that without these perspectives, a large portion of a library’s identity would be missing. I still have not figured out the perfect balance, but as I move forward I hope to dig deeper into what truly makes these spaces so special. While I have visited many libraries within the past months, I have struggled to produce posts that seem to fit the direction I would like to go - capturing a library in all aspects of its purpose.
In the past year, I have fallen even more deeply in love with libraries. I have witnessed that libraries have the power to unite us. We all enter in the hopes of finding new information or completing a certain task. Within their walls are stories, not only within the books, but also in the communities they have developed. These stories are what I hope to capture in my posts. As my blog grows and evolves, so do I. However, in a time of my life filled with big changes and decisions, it is comforting to know that wherever I end up, there will always be a library around.