The Beauty of Books
March 29, 2023
Author: Emily Mitchell
Editor: Zoe Harris
The air is warm and thick with the scent of aging paper and well-loved stories, a welcome distraction from the bitter cold of the outside. The shelves are a pale shade of brown, labeled with exciting distinctions like “FICTION C-G,” “CULINARY MYSTERIES,” and “NEW ROMANCE.” My left hand grips my long-forgotten cold brew, slowly growing more damp from the collecting moisture. The right gently glides along one of the many rows of books crammed onto the aforementioned shelves, occasionally sliding one out if it piques my interest. I am standing in the middle of the downtown branch of the Ann Arbor District Library, a mere 1.2 miles from my dorm like an eager first grader, mystified by the seemingly endless amount of books shoved onto the shelves of my hometown library. I am a tired ten year old, perusing the bright blue bookcases in my room for something to read before bedtime. I am rediscovering my childhood self, a girl who loved nothing more than to cozy up with a good book, reading a story she would fall in love whose characters would become family to her.
My adolescent rediscovery started over winter break. With more time on my hands than I was used to, I found my way to the bookshelves in my bedroom filled with stories near and dear to my heart. When I was younger, I carried books with me everywhere I went, reading for hours on end or whenever I could find a free moment. As I grew up, my life got busier and busier. My junior and senior years of high school were whirlwinds of activity as I became more involved, took on more responsibilities, and endured more and more challenging school years. The use of my time was no longer my decision to make. I didn’t really have many opportunities to read, squeezing in a few books here and there when I could. College was essentially the same; I found myself running around from place to place, treading water to keep myself from drowning and barely succeeding. With all the nonstop academics, it was only this winter break, when I took up reading again, that I realized just how much I missed it.
So, I did some research. And on the first day of winter semester, with Starbucks in hand, I dragged a very loyal roommate with me on the mile walk to the library. I handed the desk clerk my driver's license and a piece of mail postmarked with the address of my dorm (an envelope from a card my mom had sent me), and she handed me a paper to fill out in return. A few short moments later, I was the proud owner of a shiny new Ann Arbor District Library card!
Fast forward to today, I frequent the library at least once a week. I’ve mastered which bus route will get me there the quickest, and I am a seasoned pro when it comes to reserving the most highly sought after books online. The most important outcome of my weekly excursion, though, is knowing I’ve rediscovered one of my strongest passions.
Reading has so many benefits. It improves vocabulary, increases attention spans, helps you fall asleep at night, and helps reduce screen time. For me, it’s also been such a wonderful stress reliever, as an often welcome distraction from everyday pressures. It’s transformed my time management skills, and taught me how to make time for things that are important to me beyond my everyday obligations. My library card comes with me everywhere I go, tucked into the wallet attached to the back of my phone. With all the never ending madness of college life, I truly think making that initial library trip has been one of the most transformative decisions I could have made.
