The Library of Congress

One of the many, many really great things about Washington D.C. is the Library of Congress. It is a massive library, truly massive. Takes up 3 gigantic buildings, two of them as old as the Capital, the other one newer and larger. Tunnels connect them all. Some of the stacks are open, meaning a person can browse for what they want, but for many other books, one fills out a form and the librarian goes to get it. Getting into the Library of Congress, especially after 9-11, requires a bag check and airport-style screening. Between the security, the librarians, and the overwhelming complexity of the architecture, not to mention the astounding beauty, I think a lot of people are dissuaded from going, it is a bit intimidating. But the library card is actually free, the setting spectacular, and well, none of this ever seemed overkill to me. I thought it was perfectly appropriate that one should have to go through certain formal procedures to get access to all that the Library of Congress had to offer. It was however sometimes difficult to figure out what to do with myself, not being allowed to bring in my bag, but also having to wait for the librarian to fetch the book for me. The nice architecture of the building helped with that.

These days I am using the resources at the National Museum of Iceland. The first few times I came here, I just sat at one of the desks upstairs, but then I discovered a slightly more exclusive part of the library, the Þjóðdeild. It is down in the basement, with it's own, specially designed spiral staircase entrance. Then one goes through a glass door to the librarian's desk, which is also a sort of small exhibition area. Here one checks one's bag, signs a guest book, and then awaits the librarian's permission to enter another room, where several rows of desks and many good reference books are kept. There is yet another room behind this one, with more desks, and it seems to be reserved for people actually working on manuscripts. To get books, one fills out a slip of paper, just as I did at the Library of Congress, and the librarian goes and retrieves it.

Although I like working here very well, think it has a good atmosphere and a collegial spirit, sometimes it does seem to me that all these glass walls and formalities are rather unnecessary. I am not sure barrier upon barrier is exactly called for here. But then lots of people probably think that about the Library of Congress, too.

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