For the love of libraries

I just returned from a cruise to the Eastern Caribbean that took me to islands I've never visited before – St. Marten's, St. Thomas, Grand Turk. Aside from the unfortunate fact that I caught the norovirus, this was a memorable cruise for one totally unexpected pleasure. I discovered Cockburn Town, the capital of Grand Turk, a small town that is historic, primitive and undeveloped. In 2008 Hurricane Ike blew through the island at 140 miles per hour and left much damage behind. A few decades-old buildings remain, and the most charming in my opinion is the Victoria Library, built in 1887, the year of Queen Victoria's Golden Jubilee.

I entered the library by climbing a set of deteriorating cement steps and going through a double wooden door. Inside I saw only one room which held several bookcases of old books. The smell was divine – the old musty, dusty scent of books well used and well loved. There was no air conditioning to alter that smell. One fan sat on a table by the front door. One clerk held her post at the minimalist counter where she did her work by hand. There was a computer as well, and when I asked to use it, she said the charge was $3.00 if I was able to get Wifi service. I did, and I happily paid her. One man sat at the only library table located in front of the single bookcase labeled "Reference."

As I worked, school on the island was dismissed for the day. Several students, all secondary level, came in. They were dressed in uniforms. Nice white shirts and navy blue pants and skirts. Other than their uniforms, they could have been American for their huge backpacks hung heavy on their backs. I learned that a surprisingly large number of these young folks would attend college and eventually go off to earn their way.

Life on this island seems hard. Too many adults sit lazily in the sun perhaps waiting for work. Dogs roam the streets apparently without owners. Cows and donkeys parade by the main highway unhampered by fences. Cars are old and make noises I've never heard before. But that library – that one star in the center of a town of decaying buildings and abandoned projects, is a sanctuary, as libraries ought to be.

I would love to hear about a library that impressed you. Perhaps one from your childhood, one for its contribution to its community. Libraries are not all the high-tech oases we are used to in the big cities. But they are, every one, vital to the life of the people they serve.