Definition of essential
(Entry 1 of 2) from Merriam Webster
2a: of the utmost importance : BASIC, INDISPENSABLE, NECESSARYan essential requirement for admission to collegeSo, I fully understand and support the notion of social distancing and people being cautious about group gatherings, practicing common sense cautions around basic health (washing hands, staying home if you are sick), and even the need for us to close our doors. But I have realized that it feels like an affront that libraries are being called "non-essential"--I beg to differ. Libraries are essential. We are the very essence of social connection (even if it is virtual) and access to accurate sources of information and certainly access to resources that combat isolation--books, music, movies. In this challenging time, we are providing as much access to these things as possible through our "virtual" presence on our website. We are basic, indispensable and necessary!
A quick note on downloading audiobooks. I mentioned in an earlier blog that this situation has dragged me into the 21st century and I am now downloading audiobooks on my phone (and it is a relief to no longer be endangering myself and others by switching disks at high speed...). I downloaded my first a couple of weeks ago--Big Sky by Kate Atkinson. I absolutely hated the reader (this sometimes happens) but this one was odd and I fumed about why the company even hired this reader who was delivering the book as if on speed...giving a new definition to the clipped British accent. Impossible to follow. I deleted it. When I tried my next one i found, as I played around with settings, that one can choose the SPEED of the reader and I had inadvertently gone to high speed. This was a comedy of errors. Now I see the merit of being able to slow down or speed up...e.g. if one was listening to a book in a foreign language, one might want a very leisurely reading pace. This seems very funny in retrospect. Learn from my error...
A quick note on downloading audiobooks. I mentioned in an earlier blog that this situation has dragged me into the 21st century and I am now downloading audiobooks on my phone (and it is a relief to no longer be endangering myself and others by switching disks at high speed...). I downloaded my first a couple of weeks ago--Big Sky by Kate Atkinson. I absolutely hated the reader (this sometimes happens) but this one was odd and I fumed about why the company even hired this reader who was delivering the book as if on speed...giving a new definition to the clipped British accent. Impossible to follow. I deleted it. When I tried my next one i found, as I played around with settings, that one can choose the SPEED of the reader and I had inadvertently gone to high speed. This was a comedy of errors. Now I see the merit of being able to slow down or speed up...e.g. if one was listening to a book in a foreign language, one might want a very leisurely reading pace. This seems very funny in retrospect. Learn from my error...
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