Libraries and Internet

When I was in elementary school I was introduced to the school library. The school library had shelves and shelves of books, telling different stories in far away lands that helped me to escape my daily life. I developed a love for books, stories and the library. Soon the library became my favorite place to go in school. I enjoyed the quiet solitude of sitting in a corner enveloped in book telling me of adventures or mysteries in another world.

When I was in high school I was required to write reports on different subjects, depending on the class subject. In order to obtain the information for the reports I would visit the school and local library. Searching through the library card catalogue of thousands of card files to find books relating to the subject I was writing about, writing down the dewey decimal number indicating the location, then searching the many shelves to find the book and checking the book out for a week in order to read and learn about the subject.

I spent hours in a library enjoying the quietness, the smell of books and seeing all the different subjects a person can learn about. I would browse through the library card catalogue, exploring the various subjects I had not thought about learning. Libraries were an adventure of exploration and knowledge.

When I started raising and training horses I would buy books and purchase magazine subscriptions to gain knowledge on horses. I built my own library containing the information on the business of horses. When I would advertise horses for sale or availability of training, the ads were in local newspapers. Magazines would keep me abreast of shows and horse events in my area.

Then I purchased my first computer, a large bulking tool, to keep track of the financials and write contracts and agreements. The computer was a place to put in information related to the business of raising, training and selling horses. When needed I could easily retrieve the information I put into the computer, relieving my office of paper clutter.

Then came the internet. When I first experienced the internet, I used it mainly for advertising horses for sale and keeping abreast of shows and horse events. Advertising on the internet opened a larger audience, people from other states, areas and countries.

I learned the internet could provide me with information to answer specific questions instead of reading a whole book to find the answer. I could get up to date information on care and treatments for my horses from universities and colleges.

Eventually I had a website for the horses, listing pedigree information, pictures and accomplishments of the horses I owned, raised and those for sale. The internet allowed me to download show entry forms and registration applications. Soon, I was able to register horses without using the postal service and postage stamps.

Then life changes happened, I stopped raising horses and started raising sheep. A totally new animal to learn about. Once again the internet was there to help learn how to care and raise my sheep. You tube offered first hand knowledge by watching how others raise and care for their sheep.

Today, I use the internet to learn new skills in gardening, organization, sewing and recipes among other things that might catch my eye. Knowledge is everywhere on any subject for any country with the tool of the internet. But I have not left my first love behind, I still enjoy and love visiting the local libraries. Although my old friend the library card catalogue is no longer in use as it has been moved to a computer, the smell of books, the quietness and becoming enveloped in a book on an adventure far away are still there.

amtolle