The Library A Window to the Future
Ronald J. Norick Downtown Library - September 4th, 2024, Brandon Tellez.
Written for Shoot the Breeze Magazine: Volume 00 - July 2024
Growing up my mom never really had a lot of money, just enough for cigarettes, alcohol and food, usually in that order. We did somehow have just enough though to rent video games from Blockbuster, that’s a throwback. These games were my unintentional lead to the library. At the time in the early 2000’s we had spotty dial-up internet and no printer. Game Informer magazine was the source of my attention most places we went, GameStop, Blockbuster, and the library. Most single player games used to have combinations of buttons you could press to activate secrets; we called these cheat codes. Nimble thumbs could easily turn on a ‘god-mode’, making you indestructible, pass a mission for you, unlock extra gear, or any number of other possibilities. These were like little Easter eggs that could add a little fun to any game. As the internet grew, so did archives of cheat codes, and I would often find myself at the library printing page after page of symbols, like a foreign dictionary.
Libraries have grown with time, with easier access to technology, they’ve had to. I’m very grateful to be within walking distance of my local library Downtown here, it is home to a wealth of resources. Classic printed resources range from novels and magazines, to maps and textbooks. Millions of words and feelings written down, organized row by row across two floors, it’s satisfying even to just walk around this library. You’ll find a variety of people reading, typing, studying, bettering themselves in some way. It takes less than ten minutes to get a library card, and you’ll have access to near-infinite information. More than just printed information, things to pass time like audiobooks and movies, but also more ways to grow like book clubs, classes, workshops, and support groups. The community comes together here to both learn and build themselves, but also come together, to support each other and grow together.
The Ronald J. Norick Downtown Library is just over 70 years old, and the largest library in the state. Over 100 thousand square feet spread across four floors, there is a vast amount of space to get together. This is a building with a purpose, “Connecting our diverse communities with resources and experiences to educate and enrich lives.”, a strong mission statement for a strong community. The Metropolitan Library System, like other organizations highlighted in this magazine, puts value in people first. Taking care of the people in our community is the best way to grow our city and state. The downtown library highlights innovation and inclusion, balancing offering advanced technology and vast space to learn to as many people as possible.
