After reading Scott Sherman’s Patience and Fortitude, I got the sense that the New York Public library was not just a building that stored books but was a romanticized epicenter for everyday New Yorkers and scholars alike. The way Sherman described the NYPL, he gave it human-like attributes comparing the books to the heart and saying “it was born in 1895” translated a deeper meaning of this library to the reader. By comparing parts of the library to body parts, it conveyed that this was not your ordinary public library, rather it was a building rich with living history- a test of time. NYPL is not just a library, but as Sherman describes it, it is a “major cultural institution” for people from all class brackets. By the author emotionally investing the reader, connecting them emotionally to the library and it’s near death experience, Sherman can capture the true essence of New York. The NYPL is a sanctuary for scholars just as New York is a sanctuary for ALL people.
Sherman’s excerpt made me ponder my idea for our first essay. I believe I want to focus on the wifi and personal computer aspect of libraries and how a “world- class library” like the New York Public Library can withstand the rapidly changing 21st century. How does having free wifi access in a library affect the level of concentration or how does it influence people’s reason for coming to the library in general?
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