Graphic by Noemi Gonzalez."What's the point of thinking about how it's going to end when it's just the beginning?" - Judy Blume, "Summer Sisters"
As we near the end of the semester, it's easy to forget that there's still a plethora of knowledge to uncover in the midst of finals and classes ending. Sometimes it can feel like the end of the world when we're struggling to finish that last research essay and we forget that we have the rest of our academic career - the rest of our lives - ahead of us.
I remember when I read this Judy Blume book, "Summer Sisters," right before summer hit. It captured everything I thought the season should be and it caused me to contemplate the things that were happening in my life at the time. Judy Blume has been a staple in my literary diet, it seems. I first read "Freckle Juice" in the third grade and since then she has appeared on my bookshelf time and time again.
It seems only fitting that she was this year's honorary chair of National Library Week 2014. Librarians and libraries were celebrated across the nation from April 13 to 19. The theme of this year's event? Lives Change.
I vaguely remember visiting the library with my mom a few times as a toddler, but my first concrete memory is when my first-grade class met with a librarian at Burton Barr. I'd like to say that this is where my life's literary adventure began; this is where my life changed.
Life is constantly changing and so is society. We have so many opportunities to read books and articles online that sometimes the need for a library seems ridiculous. But I know for a fact that nothing beats the atmosphere and comfort of a library, the calm and helpful faces of librarians and the image of rows and rows of written word.
Even though National Library Week has come and gone, it is a concept and an institution that should always be appreciated for its ability to change lives.
Arthur put it best when he said that having fun isn't hard when you have a library card (I think somewhere deep down, we all knew I had to say this). If you haven't been to the library in a while, take the opportunity to walk in and look around. There's something for everyone at the library.
You can reach the writer at arabusa@asu.edu or on Twitter @marie_eo.
