On Wednesday afternoon, I was wandering around looking for a post office, and found I was right near the State Library of Victoria. I tried a photo but it didn't turn out well so I'm referring you to the wikipedia entry if you're interested. Of course I went in, and discovered a wonderful exhibition on the fourth floor called Mirror of the World: books and ideas. It's refreshing in the midst of my graduate program and all the stresses that accompany it to be reminded why I'm in this field, and the exhibit provided a great reminder. It began with the earliest written material up to present day graphic novels. I saw a cuneiform tablet, which I'd only read about for a class; a leaflet from the Gutenberg bible; works from Shakespeare and Chaucer's Canterbury Tales; Audobon's Birds of America (very big, and vivid!); and a display on book arts showing examples of decorative binding, marbling, and other papers.
From the exhibition brochure: "Books are mirrors of many worlds: worlds here and distant, past and present, real and imagined. Through text and image, they act as keepers of ideas, of knowledge and of stories. This exhibition showcases many of the rare, beautiful and historically significant books held by the State Library on behalf of the people of Victoria. It celebrates the unique place of books in our hearts and minds". Well said.
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Books (and libraries) are indeed fabulous things. I don't venture into the small library at the small college I teach at all that often, but every time I run in for something specific I see the display of new books and think, "Oh my so much reading to do!" So many new ideas to discover.
Ah, interesting that you should find this place at this moment in time. I have just begun noticing the decorative flourishes on the books in our collection, and am considering creating a photo record of the more peculiar items, because when they fade or are discarded, they will be gone forever. Wonderful as the content of a book may be, sometimes the cover says nearly as much as the words inside, at least about the hands that crafted it. There is something touching and human about that personal finish, the care and love that went into creating the physical object, that should not be lost. Books now, even library editions, are made to be disposable... it is a pity.
You should do that Dawn, would be extremely interesting for so many people. I have always been attracted to books by their covers...sometimes that is the only reason I decide to read it.
I just wanted to share what I do with my books as it seems relevant to the topic of their being disposable. I have been trying to make a habit of giving my books away after I read them with instructions to "pass it on" indefinitely. I don't own any particularly pretty or well-made books... mostly just inexpensive paperbacks. I don't know what it is. Something about passing them on to be read and read again just makes me feel like I'm doing more good than if I let them sit on a shelf. That's my 2-cents' worth. Rebecca, I trust you're well and enjoying your adventure! ~Paige
Cool, Paige. I like this idea of passing on books, but often only want to do that with books I didn't like! I have books that have sentimental attachment, such as The Prophet by Kahlil Gibran, which I first read ten years ago in Lawrence, KS, and have continued to love since.
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