Little Pleasures

I am the kind of person who twists tiny things into much bigger, frequently distorted, occasionally inspiring things.  The easiest way to make me happy is to bundle me into the car and drive me to the beach.  If you want to keep the vibe going for a while, put a camera in my hand.  Little pleasures. One of my favorite treats is the patron hold system at my community library.  When a title intrigues me, I  place the book on hold online and wait for the phone call announcing its arrival. I sometimes tease myself, not answering the phone, or waiting for the end of the day to check the messages.

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There are shelves in the front of the library near the self-checkout where the books are held for easy pickup. Next to the hold shelves, is the bookshelf of mystery.  I noticed this shelf years ago, but assumed it was not for me, or there would be some kind of obvious signage directing me to pay closer attention.  At the top of each side of the shelf are signs stating, “Explore.”  What does that mean?  For years I thought it was the travel section.  Then I noticed the shelves held multiple copies of each book, and I thought maybe they were for students in college or high school courses.

I gradually eased closer to this shelf and started picking up books.  I noticed they were all brand new, and were not of a particular theme.  If you stand close enough, you can see a small sign giving permission to check out these books.  I imagine at some point I could have asked for help, but I think I enjoy prolonging the mystery.  I have borrowed some excellent books from these shelves, though I feared rejection at the self-checkout the first time I attempted to bring one home.  No alarms sounded as I passed through the security gates with my new little treasures.

As I wrote this post, I visited the library site to get a screen shot of my items on hold.  I noticed the library now has an account on Twitter.  I sent a message requesting a book they do not have, and I received a response with a link to their system for requesting new books.  I also noticed within their Twitter feed, a brief explanation of the Explore section.

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I have more books on hand right now than I could possibly read before they are due, so I juggle and often renew. I’m currently reading Buying In, by Rob Walker. I’m enjoying it, but have discovered I still look for educational applications in everything I read. I also have some of the same troubles with his writing as I do with Lessig’s. It is difficult to filter the sarcasm in text. Sometimes I don’t quite get his point. He does provide a lot of valuable information, with each page citing multiple studies and resources. I wish I had more time to follow them.
My goal, in addition to increasing my knowledge of writing, is to eventually be comfortable spending time immersed in fiction. Since I left my job four months ago, I think I have only read one fiction novel. The rest of my reading has been concentrated on non-fiction, technology, innovation, and education books.  I have the desire to move my writing away from provocative and succinct and more toward evocative and elaborate.  I have much to learn.