On libraries

One of my favorite places to spend a Saturday is at the beautiful Doe main stacks at UC Berkeley. It seems so luxurious to be able to have a whole day of peace and quiet, surrounded by books. Although I find myself having more than enough peace and quiet here in Iceland in my apartment, I do nevertheless need to go to the Icelandic National Library today, and it has got me thinking about those lovely Saturdays at Cal. Besides the architecture, the selection of books, and the selection of reading areas, the main difference is I expect to see people I know at the Icelandic library, and I never had that expectation at Cal. Though it did sometimes happen. 

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