The Library

Let's start and say the Richland County Public Library is nice. It has four levels. The basement is for children. Any chance that the library would be quiet goes out the window, because you can hear the children yell all the way to the top. I think it is a glorified daycare, and the parents haven't taught them about being quiet. They're just glad to be rid of them for about an hour.

When I was a kid, coming to the library was a cool thing to do. In fact, my first play was a Christmas pageant that was staged at the library. I was around 6m and I played a wise man. That was when the library was on Sumter Street. It has been torn down and replaced with a parking lot for First Baptist Church.

The newer library has computers to use. I do also read books sometimes. They have a DVD collection. Maybe one day, I'll check those out. It also is a place where the homeless hang out. On a day like Monday, where it rained all day, they were in there a lot more than usual. The library doesn't seem to mind much, unless they catch them sleeping instead of reading. It is possible to be banished from the library for a day, if they catch you sleeping. There are several plain-clothes security people in the library. I suppose that's good, except they can treat their jobs as being more important than they really are. There is a sign out front that says no food or drink in the library. They don't seem to enforce that rule, but God forbid you fall asleep.

If we didn't have the library, you would see a lot more homeless talking to themselves. One would get crazier a lot faster. There are also several satellite libraries around the city, but I don't think they have computers to use there, and I would venture a guess that they don't have many homeless there either.

So, the library can be a refuge amidst the chaos of the outside world. And maybe, some people will pick up a little education, too.