According to the American Library Association, there are around 124,000 libraries in the U.S. In Ohio, anyone can get a free library card for living, working, going to school or owning property in the state. Reading secondhand is not only budget and eco-friendly, but logical in the sense of enjoying things to share them and let them go.
The importance and joys of reading have always been highlighted, especially in the summer when we have more free time to relax by the beach, or in soft mornings without the rush of a stressful schedule. Recently it has been popular to buy books or an entire series to build a personal library. I see the incentive and admire one’s dream of a house full of books, writing notes and thoughts without the worry of vandalization, but borrowing holds a history of sharing stories within a community, dating back to the 19th century.
Like much modern entertainment, the history of borrowing books started with the lower and middle classes. High class occupants were preoccupied with more important high culture activities. Leisure reading grew in popularity in England around the same time lower classes grew to 75% of society in the 19th century. Better health care and a wealthier middle class led to more leisure time. In addition, increased literacy came about in the 1830s when education was made mandatory.
The first library was founded in 1841, but all primary libraries were private and censored. However, within clubs and small communities, people shared books to get around this exclusivity. The idea of free lending libraries was endorsed by the masses and received Royal Assent in 1850. By the end of the 19th century, thousands of books were accessible to people of the U.K. regardless of gender, age or economic status.
Libraries are now a modern luxury and norm in society, and even more recent are Little Free Libraries. These sidewalk libraries started in 2009 in Wisconsin. People donate their used books, and when people take one to read, they leave one of their own behind. The creator, Tod Bol, said he hoped people within neighborhoods would use these libraries to “develop systems of sharing, learn from each other and see that they have a better place on this planet to live.”
Alden Library at Ohio University has seven floors with the sixth and seventh referred to as “the stacks,” filled with books for students to borrow. The library has leisure reading options, but its primary focus of content is academic resources, so it recommends students go to Athens Public Library, located at 30 Home St., for a more extensive collection of leisure reading.
Alden uses a system called the ALICE catalog for students to digitally find books they would like to borrow. Most leisure books are on the seventh floor of the library and can be associated with specific class offerings and programs.
After being recommended to use Athens Public Library, I went to get a personal library card.
Through that library, members have access to Libby, an online reading app connecting to any public library to borrow digital books or audio books. The card also provides access to Kanopy to rent movies or TV shows, and the library has an ongoing book sale, selling second-hand books for 50 cents each.
Buying books to add one’s own personal notes and building a library has its purposes, but it’s always more enriching to share stories with friends and family. Additionally, for a book a person will only read once in their life, or finish to find they don’t like it at all, the initial intention of buying the book to add to their collection loses its purpose.
When many people borrow a specific popular title, a library rents or purchases more copies of the book for more people to read, given the high demand. This, in turn, supports the author while simultaneously allowing more people to read the book.
Local libraries like Athens Public Library or Alden provide copious resources that are not only entertaining, but important for learning and resting one’s mind. The idea of a library as a place people can gather to share stories for free with the intention of returning them is an investment in growth for oneself and for their community.
Libby Evans is a junior studying journalism at Ohio University. Please note that the views and opinions of the columnists do not reflect those of The Post. Want to talk more about it? Let Libby know by emailing her at le422021@ohio.edu.
