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magicicadaI've been to the NCSU library several times. Each time dipping my toe a little deeper into its vastness. However, today is the first time I went into the stacks. I wasn't avoiding the books, but the NCSU library is a vast behemoth and I had not had occasion to go past the stacks yet. My first several trips in fact were to the 'Media Center' to see movies. They have a fairly nice room of about 30 tv/dvd/vcr setups where you can watch any movie in their library, many of which have been put on reserve by the professors. However, there are also 2 theaters inside the library. I mean really, this place is big enough to swallow movie theaters. So anyways, my next trip was to the reserve section, again a fairly modest area next to the periodicals. It was ok, but a bit stifling and I was confused about where everything was and disoriented and spent way too much time and money (*&#!*&)copying articles.
Now it was time for the big expedition to look at the general collection. I had no idea where I was going, but I saw a promising sign that said 'Stacks' -->. Hmm... next to it was the same exploded diagram of the library that I had puzzled over many times before. Ok... ignore the two little wings because they all seem to be special sections. Now to the central 'tower'. I'd noticed this in the diagram before, but generally overlooked it because I was trying to find something else. Let's see books are from floor 2-7 with computers on the 2nd & 5th floors. I was afraid that I might already be on the second floor, so I went for the 5th. I came out and ...oh my god... the vastness... the stacks. They stretched as far as the eye could see and much higher than I could reach. It may also help to know that my mom is a librarian - a university librarian in fact, and on school holidays, or when I was sick, I would occasionally go to work with her. I'm still intimidated at times, but the particular smell of an academic library still takes me back.
There were hundreds of books of Shakespeare commentary. That was good, what was dangerous was trying to keep from getting diverted. Poetry journals are expensive, but it's considered a good idea to read a sample before submitting. Even a bookstore with a large magazine collection such as Borders only stocks a handful of poetry mags. My favorite independent bookstore does a bit better, but still is somewhat lacking. I saw hundreds of different journals, each one going back decades. It was so hard not to stop. And then I saw the french literature section, but I foraged on. Then I passed by a couple thousand books in Spanish. Knowing how the system worked, I knew the French books would be on the next aisle. It was very very hard to keep going, but I did. I know where this place is now. Oh yes... I will be back.
Books actually checked out:
Shakespeare's Plutarch
History of Suicide
Shakespeare's Tragedies
&
The Source of Shakespeare's Plays
Yes, that's right, once again I've got a real upper of a topic - whee!!!
Now it was time for the big expedition to look at the general collection. I had no idea where I was going, but I saw a promising sign that said 'Stacks' -->. Hmm... next to it was the same exploded diagram of the library that I had puzzled over many times before. Ok... ignore the two little wings because they all seem to be special sections. Now to the central 'tower'. I'd noticed this in the diagram before, but generally overlooked it because I was trying to find something else. Let's see books are from floor 2-7 with computers on the 2nd & 5th floors. I was afraid that I might already be on the second floor, so I went for the 5th. I came out and ...oh my god... the vastness... the stacks. They stretched as far as the eye could see and much higher than I could reach. It may also help to know that my mom is a librarian - a university librarian in fact, and on school holidays, or when I was sick, I would occasionally go to work with her. I'm still intimidated at times, but the particular smell of an academic library still takes me back.
There were hundreds of books of Shakespeare commentary. That was good, what was dangerous was trying to keep from getting diverted. Poetry journals are expensive, but it's considered a good idea to read a sample before submitting. Even a bookstore with a large magazine collection such as Borders only stocks a handful of poetry mags. My favorite independent bookstore does a bit better, but still is somewhat lacking. I saw hundreds of different journals, each one going back decades. It was so hard not to stop. And then I saw the french literature section, but I foraged on. Then I passed by a couple thousand books in Spanish. Knowing how the system worked, I knew the French books would be on the next aisle. It was very very hard to keep going, but I did. I know where this place is now. Oh yes... I will be back.
Books actually checked out:
Shakespeare's Plutarch
History of Suicide
Shakespeare's Tragedies
&
The Source of Shakespeare's Plays
Yes, that's right, once again I've got a real upper of a topic - whee!!!