We all know the feeling– you leave a store, bags in hand, excited to introduce some new pieces to your closet. You make it home and pull out your items, trying them on for the second time that day, this time in front of your own mirror. Something about them just doesn’t hit quite the same.
Then, the zinger– the notification from your bank account, telling you just how much money you’ve sunk down the drain.
It happens to the best of us. Something about trying clothes on with your friends, even when you swore you wouldn’t spend money, compels you to make a purchase you don’t really want. Luckily, the mall isn’t the only third space left to hang out with your friends.
If you’re in college, you’ve been to your campus library. Whether you need to check out a book for class or have someone at the IT desk connect you to eduroam (good luck), chances are you’ve spent time in those halls. Unfortunately, many people don’t see the library as something other than an outdated resource we don’t need.
I’m here to recommend viewing your library as more than a place to pick up your coffee order. It’s a great place to spend time with friends, get productive work done, relax and get access to a wealth of knowledge.
The information that the library holds shouldn’t be taken for granted. The hundreds of thousands of books available are a tool to combat the decline in media literacy. Media literacy is a huge talking point on the internet by now, and I’m sure you’ve seen people discussing it (or rather, the lack of it).
But what is media literacy? In short, it’s the ability to understand what you’re reading. It could be as simple as being able to follow a story, as academic as analyzing the themes in a work of literature and as necessary as being able to tell when a news source is reliable.
This loss of media literacy, as people tend to say, isn’t something new. Access to knowledge has been a powerful tool for as long as we’ve had civilizations. In the United States, education has been used as a divider to keep people separated. Why? Because literacy can liberate people.
Public libraries are protected under the First Amendment and cannot restrict books based on content. Next time you’re in the library, consider checking out a new book, remembering how much of a privilege your access to media is. After all, the only way to improve media literacy is to consume media.
The library is more than a place where we can go to study outside the confines of our dorm rooms. It’s a third space where you won’t end up spending money, something that feels rarer every year. It’s a place to socialize with friends (in an appropriately labeled study room). It’s a place where knowledge is available at no cost to you. That’s why I’ll be swapping — in spirit — my debit card for a library card this fall.