The Cypress College Library

Our next assignment was to do a 300 word essay about our school library. I was lost at first, because what do you write about a library for 300 words? I'm pretty proud with what I came up with:

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One thing came to mind as I wandered through the Cypress College Library this week. I love books. I love the smell, the weight of the book in my hands, the way the spine gives way when you open an older volume. I love the sound of the pages turning and the feel of the ink that sometimes rubs off on your fingers. I chose an aisle to explore and I was not disappointed.

Before walking through the aisle, I stepped back and took in what I was seeing. The bookcases were around fifteen feet long and just over six feet tall. Each case had six shelves, and each shelf was brimming with books. There were tall books and short books; fat books and thin books. There were books that looked and felt centuries old, and some that appeared to have never been opened.

I started down the aisle, but I did not get far. I have no memory of the title or author of the book that I had found, but I was drawn to it like a curator to freshly uncovered artifacts. The work was leather bound, with silver embossment on the cover. I ran my fingers across the front and felt the contours of the volume. I held it to my face and breathed in; I could smell the parchment and I imagined the papyrus of ancient Egypt. I opened to the first page and felt it between my fingers. It was thin and fragile, and had a note written in pencil in the upper corner. The writing appeared to be feminine. I wanted to know about the person who had written the message. Who was it for? What was she feeling when she wrote the inscription? Did the person for whom it was meant ever have a chance to read it?

As I was placing the book back into its place, I caught a glimpse of my watch. I had spent forty-five minutes with my new friend and hadn’t read a word of the text. Smiling to myself, I wondered if others understood the pleasure of simply opening a book. I can only hope so.