Good Books: An American Freedom

  Probably one of my four copies of Pride and Prejudice

I went to the library this morning to pick up some books from interlibrary loan. It took two days for one book to arrive and three days for the other two. I saw that they were on loan from the Southeast Ohio library system and thought..."it is so cool that there is this gigantic stash of books available to whoever wants them, freely and with no restraint."

With good books in the passenger seat of my beat up old Honda, I felt a rush of wealth. I am wealthy in the availability of books of every description, as valuable to me as all the rubies, emeralds, and diamonds in the world, worth more to me than a Rolls Royce Phantom, enjoyed almost as much sometimes as my human relationships. I glory in this country's magnificent library system and the truly democratic institution that it is.

I live in a poverty-stricken rural area. People say, how can you live there, what is there for you, don't you miss city shopping and services? So far, no. The local library (Herbert Wescoat Memorial Library of McArthur, Ohio) is excellent and can get almost any book I ever want, from the most obscure scholarly tome to the next book on my children's reading list, Swiss Family Robinson. The librarians are professional and friendly, interested in my book choices, and glad to offer recommendations and opinions. The local library is an amazing treasure house of knowledge, entertainment, and, yes, freedom; it is a priceless jewel in a long, long strand of libraries across the United States.
If we could freely check out precious gems and elaborate jewelry, I think the stones would begin to loose their luster--and their value. They are, after all, crystals, minerals, and rocks and do not touch the mind or the heart. A book, however, exerts a hold over me that lasts as long as I live. The more that books are available, the more they are loved. In that sense, a book is like kindness--the more you pass it around, the more there is for everyone--not like those gems, which are hoarded and hidden.

Until recently, I had a book shelf where I kept "books to be rescured in case of fire." I have a sticker on my front storm door alerting firefighters to save my pets and I have always wanted one for my books. Maybe I just have an exaggerated attachment--the books I love I have read many, many times. At one time I had four different editions of Pride and Prejudice. Each book is an experience of life, of places, of history, of the solving of human conflicts.

And sometimes the books are plain old fun. One of my books, by Kate Wilhelm, is called Oh, Susannah! I picked up the book by accident, read it soon after, and was immediately smitten. It's what I call a "suitcase mystery"--a book where several identical suitcases keep getting switched accidently. Susannah is also a science fiction book in which the question of what makes someone have an identity is explored. It's also hilarious--leaving my cheeks streaming with laugh-tears. I've gotten hours and hours of pleasure from this slim volume. (Wilhelm, by the way, is an amazing writer across many genres--check her out.)

I recently reorganized my books, pruning out the dead wood, moving others to new places of prominence. I kept adding books to the shelf of books to be saved in case of fire...then it became two shelves, then three...and finally I realized that I needed to let go of my book class system. All the books I kept are created equal and equally important. Woe to the firefighters who come to my home. All books will be saved.

But, back to the freedom thing. I know that in many parts of the world literacy is low and books are unavailable. Or, the books that are available are filtered through a sieve of ideology, religion, or legislated morality. These places deprive their people of creativity, fascination, exploration, spirituality, humanity. If you are reading this blog, you are probably somewhat of a word person or a book person. Who would you have become if you hadn't had access to books? I cannot imagine myself in any form of existence without them. For this alone, I am a patriot and honor the founders of our nation who refused to set up any kind of orthodoxy of religion or ideology. We were to be free. We were to conduct our individual searches for meaning and identity. We were to sample of life's offerings in person or vicariously. We were to have books. And that makes us the wealthiest nation on earth.