On libraries, bookshops and netbars
<p><span word="Growing">Growing</span> <span word="up">up</span> <span word="as">as</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="youngster">youngster</span>, <span word="and">and</span> <span word="even">even</span> <span word="today">today</span> <span word="as">as</span> <span word="somewhat">somewhat</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="an">an</span> “<span word="oldie">oldie</span>”, <span word="there">there</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="nothing">nothing</span> <span word="I">I</span> <span word="like">like</span> <span word="better">better</span> <span word="than">than</span> <span word="being">being</span> <span word="able">able</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="go">go</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="library">library</span>. <span word="Call">Call</span> <span word="me">me</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="bookworm">bookworm</span>, <span word="a">a</span> <span word="geek">geek</span> <span word="or">or</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="nerd">nerd</span> <span word="whatever">whatever</span> - <span word="I">I</span> <span word="think">think</span> <span word="if">if</span> <span word="you">you</span> <span word="asked">asked</span> <span word="me">me</span> <span word="I">I</span> <span word="could">could</span> <span word="probably">probably</span> <span word="describe">describe</span> <span word="every">every</span> <span word="library">library</span> <span word="I">I</span> <span word="have">have</span> <span word="ever">ever</span> <span word="been">been</span> <span word="to">to</span>.</p><p><span word="One">One</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="nicest">nicest</span> <span word="I">I</span> <span word="visited">visited</span> <span word="was">was</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="Melbourne">Melbourne</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="their">their</span> <span word="public">public</span> <span word="city">city</span> <span word="library">library</span> <span word="that">that</span> <span word="had">had</span> <span word="lots">lots</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="wood">wood</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="tall">tall</span> <span word="ceilings">ceilings</span>. <span word="Next">Next</span> <span word="up">up</span> <span word="was">was</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="Washington">Washington</span> <span word="DC">DC</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="their">their</span> <span word="Library">Library</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="Congress">Congress</span>. <span word="The">The</span> <span word="local">local</span> <span word="city">city</span> <span word="library">library</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="Xi">Xi</span>'<span word="an">an</span> <span word="too">too</span> <span word="was">was</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="favorite">favorite</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="mine">mine</span> <span word="on">on</span> <span word="weekends">weekends</span>. <span word="But">But</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="be">be</span> <span word="honest">honest</span> <span word="I">I</span> <span word="have">have</span> <span word="fonder">fonder</span> <span word="memories">memories</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="tiny">tiny</span> <span word="library">library</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="remote">remote</span> <span word="north">north</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="Australia">Australia</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="town">town</span> <span word="called">called</span> <span word="Roebourne">Roebourne</span>, <span word="population">population</span> <span word="maybe">maybe</span> 300, <span word="where">where</span> <span word="I">I</span> <span word="did">did</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="lot">lot</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="my">my</span> <span word="research">research</span> <span word="for">for</span> <span word="my">my</span> <span word="masters">masters</span>. <span word="I">I</span> <span word="think">think</span> <span word="it">it</span> <span word="was">was</span> <span word="just">just</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="feeling">feeling</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="peace">peace</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="transcendence">transcendence</span> <span word="that">that</span> <span word="was">was</span> <span word="found">found</span> <span word="inside">inside</span>.</p><p><span word="What">What</span>’<span word="s">s</span> <span word="fascinated">fascinated</span> <span word="me">me</span> <span word="here">here</span> <span word="since">since</span> <span word="coming">coming</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="China">China</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="way">way</span> <span word="that">that</span> <span word="many">many</span> <span word="people">people</span> <span word="use">use</span> <span word="bookshops">bookshops</span> <span word="as">as</span> <span word="virtual">virtual</span> <span word="libraries">libraries</span>. <span word="I">I</span>’<span word="ve">ve</span> <span word="noticed">noticed</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="some">some</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="huge">huge</span> <span word="bookstores">bookstores</span> <span word="that">that</span> <span word="many">many</span> <span word="customers">customers</span> <span word="will">will</span> <span word="pick">pick</span> <span word="up">up</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="book">book</span> <span word="or">or</span> <span word="magazine">magazine</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="then">then</span> <span word="just">just</span> <span word="spend">spend</span> <span word="hours">hours</span> <span word="reading">reading</span> <span word="it">it</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="shop">shop</span>. <span word="Some">Some</span> <span word="even">even</span> <span word="just">just</span> <span word="sit">sit</span> <span word="down">down</span> <span word="right">right</span> <span word="there">there</span> <span word="on">on</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="floor">floor</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="start">start</span> <span word="reading">reading</span> – <span word="I">I</span>’<span word="ve">ve</span> <span word="even">even</span> <span word="seen">seen</span> <span word="some">some</span> <span word="fellow">fellow</span> <span word="bring">bring</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="fold">fold</span>-<span word="up">up</span> <span word="chair">chair</span>!</p><p><span word="It">It</span>’<span word="s">s</span> <span word="quite">quite</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="contrast">contrast</span> <span word="really">really</span> <span word="because">because</span> <span word="back">back</span> <span word="home">home</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="bookshops">bookshops</span> <span word="or">or</span> <span word="newsagents">newsagents</span> <span word="usually">usually</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="boss">boss</span> <span word="prefers">prefers</span> <span word="that">that</span> <span word="we">we</span> <span word="don">don</span>’<span word="t">t</span> <span word="touch">touch</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="books">books</span> <span word="or">or</span> <span word="magazines">magazines</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="case">case</span> <span word="we">we</span> <span word="dirty">dirty</span> <span word="them">them</span>, <span word="rip">rip</span> <span word="them">them</span> <span word="or">or</span> <span word="try">try</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="steal">steal</span> <span word="them">them</span>. <span word="One">One</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="their">their</span> <span word="more">more</span> <span word="common">common</span> <span word="remarks">remarks</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="customer">customer</span> <span word="who">who</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="looking">looking</span> <span word="at">at</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="text">text</span> <span word="is">is</span>, “<span word="Are">Are</span> <span word="you">you</span> <span word="going">going</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="buy">buy</span> <span word="that">that</span>? <span word="This">This</span> <span word="isn">isn</span>’<span word="t">t</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="library">library</span> <span word="you">you</span> <span word="know">know</span>.” <span word="What">What</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="pain">pain</span>!</p>
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