An excellent read. I'm sure she was "bending the rules", which makes the experience even better. This whole article reads like something from Hogwarts. When I was a little girl, our library didn't have stacks or even shelves, but it did have its own unique scent that I remember to this day.
MPL is lovely, agreed. Old libraries and graveyards in any city or country are favorites of mine. Your article was a wonderful reminder of the many reasons to frequent them-thanks!
Annnnnd…. I still haven’t made it to the MPL…some day soon, hopefully. My library days were mostly the Mansfield Library for the exclusive purpose of studying, dating back to the days of card catalogues and leafing through actual paper (giant green and white printouts), then sleuthing my way to the necessary materials and laying on the floor in particularly abundant sections…ahh those were the days…
One of my favorite TED talks, which I believe you saw, is the one about the Museum of 4 in the Morning. He talks of the luxury of allowing himself to just go to the library and...be.
MPL, first and foremost, for the books. But also, are you a parent with small children on a rainy day? MPL. A graduate student in need of a quiet corner and enough of sense of being observed to stay focused on your homework? MPL.
What a lovely, unexpected meander! Out of the blue the other day, my daughter said she wanted to go back to the Missoula Library.
When I lived in Boston, the only place I really liked was the Public Library. It is beautiful inside, and huge, with that big inner courtyard where you could sit and read. I spent a lot of time alone there. Libraries are such a second home, and I love that they’re a place for everyone. Our library is tiny. I work there frequently and always see new people, often waiting for Amtrak.
I went to the MPL again yesterday and witnessed all manner of folk from all around Missoula hunkered down with books, two men arguing about DJT, and a young fellow reviewing some VERY questionable material on a library workstation. It was an excellent people-watching day at the MPL!
An excellent read. I'm sure she was "bending the rules", which makes the experience even better. This whole article reads like something from Hogwarts. When I was a little girl, our library didn't have stacks or even shelves, but it did have its own unique scent that I remember to this day.
Oh my goodness. I’m still so intrigued by Riggs….I would love to write some sort of mystery story that incorporated it in some way!
Do it!
MPL is lovely, agreed. Old libraries and graveyards in any city or country are favorites of mine. Your article was a wonderful reminder of the many reasons to frequent them-thanks!
My trip across west Texas this week has revealed many a graveyard and tons of cute small-town libraries. Just your thing!
Annnnnd…. I still haven’t made it to the MPL…some day soon, hopefully. My library days were mostly the Mansfield Library for the exclusive purpose of studying, dating back to the days of card catalogues and leafing through actual paper (giant green and white printouts), then sleuthing my way to the necessary materials and laying on the floor in particularly abundant sections…ahh those were the days…
One of my favorite TED talks, which I believe you saw, is the one about the Museum of 4 in the Morning. He talks of the luxury of allowing himself to just go to the library and...be.
MPL, first and foremost, for the books. But also, are you a parent with small children on a rainy day? MPL. A graduate student in need of a quiet corner and enough of sense of being observed to stay focused on your homework? MPL.
Someone with a lunch and willingness to bend a rule? MPL 4th floor deck.
Great read, and yes, MPL is beautiful.
Have you read this book about a library? Loved it. "The Midnight Library" by Matt Haig.
I'll add it to the list. Thanks!
What a lovely, unexpected meander! Out of the blue the other day, my daughter said she wanted to go back to the Missoula Library.
When I lived in Boston, the only place I really liked was the Public Library. It is beautiful inside, and huge, with that big inner courtyard where you could sit and read. I spent a lot of time alone there. Libraries are such a second home, and I love that they’re a place for everyone. Our library is tiny. I work there frequently and always see new people, often waiting for Amtrak.
You don't think of the library as being a people-watching location, but it could serve!
I went to the MPL again yesterday and witnessed all manner of folk from all around Missoula hunkered down with books, two men arguing about DJT, and a young fellow reviewing some VERY questionable material on a library workstation. It was an excellent people-watching day at the MPL!