Thursday, October 4, 2012

MASC

Today I am writing about our visit to the MASC as a class. I had never been to the MASC before and was shocked that Washington State University even had this department. I assumed if the school has such a program and resource available to students that I would have heard about it before now. I have always had a passion about old books. To me, there is nothing better then sitting down with a heavy hard back book, opening its pages and smelling the parchment and dust that accumulates with age. Older books hold a wondrous mystery, sometimes you find notes and letters written in them. That is an exciting event because it gives me insight into the life of the previous owner of the book. In addition reading notes from other people can give me insight into the text by what they say, if its not insight then its entertainment over their misunderstanding of the text.

I personally love reading books, the task of turning each page, marking my place and feeling the weight of the book make me so happy. There is such an exciting feeling when you finish a 700 page book and can put the heavy book back on the shelf. I can't lie, its very alarming to me that ipads and kindles are so popular. I love the ability to read the news online and read things on the go, however I fear technology. What if some day in the future our kids dont even know what a book is? That would be the most depressing event ever.

I honestly didn't worry about this until about three months ago when I was in the Apple store and a young boy was playing with an Ipad. The little boy must have been around 3 or 4 and I remarked how funny it was that he knew how to use an Ipad at such a young age. His father told me that the pervious day the young boy was looking at a magazine and he tried to swipe the page to turn pages. This is extremely alarming!!! The library at my house is one of my favorite places, entering a room where the walls are just filled with books and being able to walk around and select what book I want to read is like a ritual. Its calming and its wonderful, its been done by people before me for years and years to read exactly the same texts that I read. Its simple and wonderful in every way possible.

Overall, I have an extreme attachment to printed books and knowing that the MASC is available for student use is very exciting! I can see myself working in a library in the future.