Phendrana Drifts

I went to the library yesterday, something I used to do a whole lot, but lately (and by lately I mean about four years) I haven't. I was walking around, picking up books on a variety of subjects and realized it was the internet that replaced the library in my daily world. Kind of like a microwave of my reading life. The internet is certainly faster, much less effort, it kind of has flashy lights, and it has a built in clock. Yay internet.

But I also noticed something else. I have become accustomed to two or three screens of information on a topic rather than a whole book. I picked up a book on interior design, not because I am planning to redo my house or something, but mostly because I am vaguely interested. It is a topic I would normally turn to the internet about, but I imagine it would be quite a different experience and vastly different information I would ingest. Not that either way is superior to the other, just it is interesting how my intake of information has changed.

One thing I can certainly say I've noticed is that rather than broadening my horizons in this respect, it has actually narrowed me. Take the interior design example. If I decided I was going to do a interior design project and I used the internet I would likely immediately know what room I wanted to redo and the style I would want. So, we would be redoing my room in a Japanese motif or make a rec room in the basement in a Star Wars theme. But what I wouldn't have done is discover what other ideas are out there. Nothing about the bathroom, and more importantly, no other styles researched. Which I guess is a shame.

Of course, the library is small. Smaller than it was in my mind at least. Maybe I was spoiled being at university for seven years, but Allie wanted a book on the 1918 influenza epidemic. My first thought was no problem. But as it turned out, the Jasper Place Library does not have a book on the 1918 influenza. There are plenty of websites though.

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