Getting Creative...

it's something we all have to do these days, whether you're self-employed, set for life, or looking for your life's passion.

And on that note, I found this little request by a library, hidden under Games & Crafts in the More To Do section of a small local paper and I knew I had to share it with all of you...

"The Harvey-Mitchell Memorial Library is looking for people interested in friendly competition around a Scrabble board. They have boards, dictionaries and lots of table space. Interested players are welcome to drop in, Thursdays at 1 pm. The library will provide coffee and snacks."

I felt something poignant, yearning really, by whomever it was that wrote that little ad. Imagine being a librarian, with books that (used to) appeal to everyone, in this day of computers, i-pods, camera/email-cellphones and whatever else I've missed while I've had my nose buried in a good book...
Yesterday, she (or he) may have listened to the NPR newstory, about the fate of telephone booths that are going unused in Scotland, and had a sinking feeling. Most everyone has cellphones (even there! in the highlands of Scotland!) but for really reliable service, nothing can beat that old-fashioned staple, the telephone. And even better, it's out there in a public booth that'll protect you from wind, rain or whatever you might need to be sheltered from. But because hardly anyone is ever using the phones in their booths, the England Telephone company has been removing all the phones (and booths, too.)

Imagine what must be going through the minds of librarians everywhere. Books in a building, and hardly anyone is coming in to use them. The 'outside' competition is fierce, and something must be done. That's when the Aha! moment must have occured. "How to satisfy people's desire for 'on-demand' and 'interactive'?"... I can hear that poor woman (or man) wondering.
And then it hit him (or her). Games with words! It's almost as good as reading... And if dictionaries are supplied~ it is reading!

I love libraries, especially the very old, somewhat forgotten ones. They're where many wonderful books (and sometimes forgotten ideas and facts) can be found. And, you get the added benefit of the faint but palpable aura of energy that's around those books that have passed through so many hands. It's where, to my mind, osmosis might really have a chance of taking place.
What struck me as so sweetly poignant about that ad for scrabble players, is that the library will provide food, friends, even competition (if it's... shhhhh.... friendly) if you'll just come in and spend time with the books.

Books, like music for the ill or dying, and therapy dogs for palliative care, are valuable for their ability to re-connect us one at a time, at our own pace, using our imagination and memory.
And if you like that idea, you might even want to call the library to join the scrabble players. They're at 603-679-5944. Bring a snack... I'll bet the librarians would like that!