There are as many ways to see reading as there are books to read. Reading can be an escape. Reading can be a concentrated investigation. It can be didactic enrichment. It can be sensational entertainment. Without question though, the print in every book guides the reader’s eyes along paths of discovery lined with information that can be both fantastic and informative. Who would have thought that blots of ink on a page could touch people’s lives in such a profound way?
Through August 15, the New York Library is currently holding a promotion to “Read Everywhere”. While repairs are being made in the Schwartzman Building’s Rose Main Reading Room, the library has brought the reading room outside. The fantastic murals of bright skies on the ceiling have been replaced with the overarching verdure of the lush foliage of trees and the drifting clouds of a sunlight sky in this year’s remarkably balmy summer days.
So, while the Rose Main Reading Room is expected to be closed until next year, the main NYPL branch on 42nd street remains open and the diligent and dedicated staff have made every effort to make sure all the resources of the facility are available to the public. So even while we are not able to enjoy perusing through books beneath the ornate ceiling vaulting overhead in the Rose Main Reading room, the library has ensured we have all the books we need to read in the biggest room in the world – the room outside.
Garrett Buhl Robinson is a poet and novelist living in New York City. www.garrettrobinson.us
