Alfred A. Knopf, 2006
"Solid libraries of wood and paper, or libraries of ghostly
flickering screens, stand as proof of our resilient belief in a timeless,
far-reaching order that we dimly intuit or perceive."
This book is about libraries, but it is much more than a "natural
history." Manguel writes about the
history of libraries, but also what they mean for us and our civilization. The book uses the design and construction of
Manguel's own personal library as a framing device, from which he launches off
on a magical exploration of what libraries mean to him, and perhaps to all of
us.
He discusses how books are organized on shelves (the
Mississauga Library System uses the popular Dewey Decimal System to organize
its collections). But chance also breaks
books out of a structured system and gives them new collected meaning - books left
on a bedside table or in a pile have their own unintended relationships. Libraries are also very much about their
external and internal space - the overall design and shape of the building, the
available space to place books inside, and use of the space for other
activities. Libraries empower their
community through knowledge, and can be a repository of collected wisdom and
identity. What is chosen to go into a
library collection also by extension defines what is absent by exclusion or removal.
There is even a chapter on imaginary books and libraries,
including H.P. Lovecraft's "Necronomicon" and other forbidden tomes of the
Cthulhu mythos. I feel though, that two
important mythical libraries are conspicuously absent in this discussion - the great
library of Celeano (a Lovecraftian library that happens to reside in outer
space), and the library of the Dreaming (from Neil Gaiman's Sandman comics),
containing every book ever written, and every book ever imagined or dreamed of,
even if they were never actually written down.
That library has many holdings from this imaginary novelist!
The title of the book refers to an idea expressed by the
author that during the day, the books in his library retain their rational
order, but at night, they become more furtive. "Unobserved in the late hours, my eyes and hands roam recklessly across
the tidy rows, restoring chaos. One book calls to another unexpectedly,
creating alliances across different cultures and centuries. A half-remembered
line is echoed by another for reasons which, in the light of day, remain
unclear…the library at night seems to rejoice in the world's essential, joyful
muddle."
Discussion Questions
- Do you enjoy libraries?
- Do you have a library at home, or elsewhere?
- What are the essential characteristics of a good public library in your opinion?
- What is your favourite library building that you have visited?
- If you could design your own library space (at home or elsewhere), what would it look like, and what would be in its collection?
- What role do libraries play in society?
- Manguel discusses the library's place in history, culture and world events. How did you feel about reading these sections? Would you champion libraries as he does?
- Think of books you have seen on a display shelf in a library or book store. Did you notice any unintended relations between the titles displayed?
- How do you think the internet age has affected our pursuit, access, and organization of knowledge?
- "It is likely that libraries will carry on and survive, as long as we persist in lending words to the world that surrounds us, and storing them for future readers." How do you feel about libraries and their survival?
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