Eduardo Santiago
Poorly promoted: it's much, much more than "book about a fire in some library you don't care about" and I wish it billed itself thus. This is a book for bibliophiles everywhere. It's educational, inspiring, warm, and fun, broadly covering subjects library- and book-related; how our modern concept of library has evolved and continues to. And yes, there's some coverage of the 1986 Los Angeles library fire, bits and pieces tossed in periodically, but it feels like a halfhearted attempt to center around a unifying theme.
May not be suitable for younger (under forty) readers: a good part of the fun involves the chapter headings, which are three or four Courier-typed card catalog book listings related to the chapter content. I enjoyed reading those, keeping them in mind as the chapter progressed, and flipping back to review what I'd missed. (Yes, flipping back. This was a hardcover, borrowed from our local library. That, too, was part of the fun). I could almost hear the drawers sliding open, almost feel the rough uneven edges of the cards.
Recommended for anyone who has ever felt awe when stepping into a library.
Poorly promoted: it's much, much more than "book about a fire in some library you don't care about" and I wish it billed itself thus. This is a book for bibliophiles everywhere. It's educational, inspiring, warm, and fun, broadly covering subjects library- and book-related; how our modern concept of library has evolved and continues to. And yes, there's some coverage of the 1986 Los Angeles library fire, bits and pieces tossed in periodically, but it feels like a halfhearted attempt to center around a unifying theme.
May not be suitable for younger (under forty) readers: a good part of the fun involves the chapter headings, which are three or four Courier-typed card catalog book listings related to the chapter content. I enjoyed reading those, keeping them in mind as the chapter progressed, and flipping back to review what I'd missed. (Yes, flipping back. This was a hardcover, borrowed from our local library. That, too, was part of the fun). I could almost hear the drawers sliding open, almost feel the rough uneven edges of the cards.
Recommended for anyone who has ever felt awe when stepping into a library.