i’ve always been fascinated about libraries. a library is not just a boring repository of printed material. instead, i’ve always seen it as a mark of civilization. it describes what kind of civilization a culture has or what sort of potential a society has. 
whenever i watch asian films, i get instantly captivated by the “books” kept in the libraries. the circular library in Hero for example, is so wonderful. books in the form of bamboo scrolls. in beijing, i actually saw sun tzu’s art of war carved in one such bamboo scroll. very interesting. in dae jang geum, the medical library had shelves of books on oriental medicine, complete with the illustrations of ginseng and even an octopus. the massive library in ancient egypt, which is lost to history, makes us imagine what sort of things were kept as a foundation for the next generations. in the west…the trinity library built by queen elizabeth the first, is overwhelming to say the least. it’s as if you’re swimming in an ocean of books. in the playful vein, what about the library in lemony snicket’s a series of unfortunate events? haha… very amusing. who can forget the futuristic library in star wars??!! whoa… that’s something. even the world of super hi-tech can’t live without a library! whatever form a library has, it necessarily sheds light on the salient characteristics that are crucial in forwarding culture. there’s a simple rule of thumb that is useful. a small decrepit library of a large population denotes a lack of vision and a lack of importance given to learning. a large library on the other hand (think about the 14 floor national library of singapore), denotes the recognition that the cultivation of the person through learning is integral in the building of a culture, society or nation.
one time, i was in the restroom of a five star hotel. some ladies were chatting. one lady had the problem of not knowing how to spend her 1 million. her friend advised her to spend it on a diamond. i almost blurted out…. BUILD A LIBRARY! but in the end, building a library THAT WILL MATTER FOR THE AGES TO COME, does not depend on who has the most resources. rather, it’ll depend on who carries great visions & dreams and who bears a big heart for the future generations.
–The Fool
I love libraries. I just wished our elites in the country would build libraries more instead of just malls or merely bookstores.
The nice thing about libraries is that it doesn’t matter where you’re from or if you have money. It urges its visitors to go beyond its four walls and reach beyond for that possibility and fire up their imaginations and in their dreams in their personal lives.
I believe that if we have enough libraries that people ACTUALLY WANT TO GO TO then the Philippines will be a much better place.
Libraries are indeed marks of a civilization–that thinks, and dreams…