Don't Go Into The Library
The week of April 23-29 is National Library Week: There's More To The Story - a time to recognize the valuable contributions of librarians and the library staff and to remind everyone of the importance of libraries to society.
It is also a celebration of all the people who produce content - books, magazines, films/videos, audio, and more that fill the shelves - they make you laugh, they make you cry, they open new pathways and so much more. (Psst! Join our Treasure Hunt to discover how much more - download the form.)
With all that to offer, why did poet Alberto Rios write “Don’t Go Into the Library”?
Don’t Go Into The Library
The library is dangerous—
Don’t go in. If you do
You know what will happen.
It’s like a pet store or a bakery—
Every single time you’ll come out of there
Holding something in your arms.
Those novels with their big eyes.
And those no-nonsense, all muscle
Greyhounds and Dobermans,
All non-fiction and business,
Cuddly when they’re young,
But then the first page is turned.
The doughnut scent of it all, knowledge,
The aroma of coffee being made
In all those books, something for everyone,
The deli offerings of civilization itself.
The library is the book of books,
It’s concrete and wood and glass covers
Keeping within them the very big,
Very long story of everything.
The library is dangerous, full
Of answers. If you go inside,
You may not come out
The same person who went in.
Copyright © 2017 by Alberto Ríos. Used with permission of the author.
Celebrate your library year-round - there’s more to your story than you think!
Unsplash Photo by @sevenshooterimage
Resources About Libraries
Who is Albert Rios?
Born in 1952, Alberto Ríos is the inaugural state poet laureate of Arizona and the author of many poetry collections, including A Small Story About The Sky (Copper Canyon Press, 2015).