Bismillah
I climbed up that slippery and noisy stairs onto my double-decker bed and set up my usual reading spot. Two pillows set-up comfortably for me to lean on as I read. I grabbed my latest novel, Darren Shan. I finally got to an interesting part. He's currently sneaking in bushes while looking at a search team sent to look for him. I get goosebumps at thrilling moments like these. I stretch out my leg and put the book down for awhile.
Suddenly I thought of cold floors, the smell of old books and good old libraries. Not the noisy kind you get in universities but the quiet kind in towns that not many people go to because they have better things to do. I reminiscence of the first time i entered the new library in Sabah. It was awesome. Modern looking but since it was new, there weren't many people. They had a children's section and despite the fact that I was in highschool I grabbed a children's book and rolled on the carpet. It was those quiet moments that you enjoy just because you feel happy with where you are.
Libraries always bring so much good memories to me. I use to be a librarian during highschool. I'd help wrap the newly bought books and watch people come in and out of the library. There was a time Harry Potter was classified as a red zone book not because it was too mature or dangerous but just because it was too popular and teachers feared that students will not concentrate in classes.
There was a time when during my duties of arranging books on the shelves I sat on the cold blue floor and abandoned my job for awhile and started reading Narnia. Truly I get enjoyment every time I read fantasy novels (especially those with young children, specifically boys, as the young dashing hero) and every time the story ends you get a feeling like you just finished a quest and can't wait for the next adventure. It is fun. Reading is absolutely fun.
When I think about my university libraries the most sweet moment was the time I spent reading poetry with my friend late at night. We read poetry out loud to each other till the library closed its lights. That time I had no care in the world. I wasn't thinking about politics, about assignments, or even exams. All I was doing was enjoying my company, the quiet library (because it was during midsem break) and our voices reading sweet and sometimes weird poetry.
The library during my primary school was a comfortable place. I loved it when teacher took lessons to the library. It was fun. Our primary school library had a pillow section where piles of pillows were provided for us to roll around and read good books. My friend and I loved that section. I also remember May Ting, a friend who read the entire Bahasa Melayu section and the english children books section. She was about to conquer the adult teen fiction and the non-fiction books but then we all graduated and then came highschool.
My tadika and taska library was my earliest library. Since I was young and smaller then, the library seemed HUGE every time I went. We weren't allowed to simply waltz into the library whenever we wanted but occasionally we went to get a book that we are required to read to our parents. It was a school initiative to make children read more. We had different reading levels. Once we complete one level we are required to read more challenging books. It was fun. I always loved coming home to read to my parents. Since my parents were not at home frequently during the day, this little project made me spend time with them during the night. I also loved how much my parents listened closely as I read. I felt like a proud daughter every time they signed the acknowledgement sheet.
Libraries are dear to me. So much so that it is one of my dreams to live in one. I'd love to wake up to the smell of books.
Alhamdulillah
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